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Antarctic Dad
Explores how families keep contact when a parent works away for long periods.
Written after the author went on an expedition to Antarctica with the Australian Antarctic Division, to Casey Station. Details of Antarctic vehicles and wildlife in the flaps of the hardback book, which symbolise the way digital messages and photos can be sent.
Original Lothian hardback edition (2006) has been out of print for years.
Illustrator Kevin Burgemeestre passed away and his family publisher Kipas Books has republished, and issued a paperback edition as a legacy to continue Kevin's work as he was enthralled by Antarctica. 'Antarctic Dad' has been re-designed by Lee Burgemeestre so Antarctic wildlife and vehicle flaps incorporated into full page spreads. Kevin is the 'Antarctic Dad' inspiration.
https://hazeledwards.com/antarctic_da... for details of 'Antarctic Dad
reviews and publisher links.
http://www.hazeledwards.com/page/anta... has links to more books about Antarctica written by Hazel Edwards
www.leeburgemeestre.com/kipasbooks
Youtube clip of author reading 'Antarctic Dad' at https://youtu.be/FHBKayjM7HA
Written after the author went on an expedition to Antarctica with the Australian Antarctic Division, to Casey Station. Details of Antarctic vehicles and wildlife in the flaps of the hardback book, which symbolise the way digital messages and photos can be sent.
Original Lothian hardback edition (2006) has been out of print for years.
Illustrator Kevin Burgemeestre passed away and his family publisher Kipas Books has republished, and issued a paperback edition as a legacy to continue Kevin's work as he was enthralled by Antarctica. 'Antarctic Dad' has been re-designed by Lee Burgemeestre so Antarctic wildlife and vehicle flaps incorporated into full page spreads. Kevin is the 'Antarctic Dad' inspiration.
https://hazeledwards.com/antarctic_da... for details of 'Antarctic Dad
reviews and publisher links.
http://www.hazeledwards.com/page/anta... has links to more books about Antarctica written by Hazel Edwards
www.leeburgemeestre.com/kipasbooks
Youtube clip of author reading 'Antarctic Dad' at https://youtu.be/FHBKayjM7HA
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
4 people want to read
About the author
Hazel Edwards
150 books97 followersHazel is a readaholic, author and Reading Ambassador.
She’s best known for the children’s classic ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake’ which inspired ' Hippo! Hippo! the, Musical'' produced by Garry Ginivan which toured nationally.
January 2026 , The Guardian newspaper listed 'There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake' in the top 50 Australian picture books. End January 2026 voting in the Guardian poll will close for the top picture book.
2026 will celebrate the 46th year of this picture book.
Her unconventional memoir 'Not Just a Piece of Cake-Being an Author' (AUDIBLE and from www.ligatu _re as part of UnTapped project of historical Australian literature. ).
'Wasted?' a YA/adult cross over #Clific novel is her latest, set around the Garbage Patches, mid ocean where Asylum Seekers trade bio fuel to form a new State and gain visas. In dsylexi font from ReadHowYouWant and being adapted for screen.
Adult murder mystery 'Celebrant Sleuth: I do...or die' with asexual sleuth Quinn is currently on AUDIBLE ,read by the author from print & e versions. 'Wed,Then Dead on The Ghan' is a mini-sequel , commissioned by ABC audio and currently being adapted as a screenplay.
Hazel mentors her 'Hazelnuts' and helps people craft their ancestry in her popular workshops ‘Writing a Non- Boring Family History’, and 'Complete Your Book in a Year'.
'Fake I.D.' a family history mystery YA novel was translated into Tamil by Cre-A in Chennai.
Hazel’s 2001 Antarctic expedition inspired the young adult eco-thriller 'Antarctica's Frozen Chosen', picture book ‘Antarctic Dad’ (reprinted by Kipas) and the memoir, ‘Antarctic Writer on Ice’. Reading about Antarctica is a hobby.
Recently AmbaPress.com.au re-issued updated script collections of Hazel's class plays including 'Grief and Loss in Schools' , 'Issues' and 'Workplays' as well as 'Kaleidoscope of Ideas for Gifted students'. Authorpreneurship' and 'Writing for Young People' have been popular.
Hazel writes a new story for each of her four grandsons each birthday. 'Go Go Gecko' is latest and is being translated.
She’s best known for the children’s classic ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake’ which inspired ' Hippo! Hippo! the, Musical'' produced by Garry Ginivan which toured nationally.
January 2026 , The Guardian newspaper listed 'There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake' in the top 50 Australian picture books. End January 2026 voting in the Guardian poll will close for the top picture book.
2026 will celebrate the 46th year of this picture book.
Her unconventional memoir 'Not Just a Piece of Cake-Being an Author' (AUDIBLE and from www.ligatu _re as part of UnTapped project of historical Australian literature. ).
'Wasted?' a YA/adult cross over #Clific novel is her latest, set around the Garbage Patches, mid ocean where Asylum Seekers trade bio fuel to form a new State and gain visas. In dsylexi font from ReadHowYouWant and being adapted for screen.
Adult murder mystery 'Celebrant Sleuth: I do...or die' with asexual sleuth Quinn is currently on AUDIBLE ,read by the author from print & e versions. 'Wed,Then Dead on The Ghan' is a mini-sequel , commissioned by ABC audio and currently being adapted as a screenplay.
Hazel mentors her 'Hazelnuts' and helps people craft their ancestry in her popular workshops ‘Writing a Non- Boring Family History’, and 'Complete Your Book in a Year'.
'Fake I.D.' a family history mystery YA novel was translated into Tamil by Cre-A in Chennai.
Hazel’s 2001 Antarctic expedition inspired the young adult eco-thriller 'Antarctica's Frozen Chosen', picture book ‘Antarctic Dad’ (reprinted by Kipas) and the memoir, ‘Antarctic Writer on Ice’. Reading about Antarctica is a hobby.
Recently AmbaPress.com.au re-issued updated script collections of Hazel's class plays including 'Grief and Loss in Schools' , 'Issues' and 'Workplays' as well as 'Kaleidoscope of Ideas for Gifted students'. Authorpreneurship' and 'Writing for Young People' have been popular.
Hazel writes a new story for each of her four grandsons each birthday. 'Go Go Gecko' is latest and is being translated.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 17, 2018
Review NOT by author, but by young reader
Young reader Mackenzie Bodnar of Tasmania gives 5 star 10/10 rating:
Antarctic Dad
by Hazel Edwards and Kevin Burgemeestre
The story is about a family with a mum, a boy and a father. The father goes to work in Antarctica. The boy’s friends don’t believe him at first but he shows them photos.
The illustrations in this book are excellent – bright, big and really bold. I really enjoyed reading Antarctic Dad as my dad has been in East Timor with the Australian Federal Police and I can relate to the boy feeling sad. Children aged 7 to 10 would love this book. Rating: 10/10
Mackensie Bodnar, Tas
Young reader Mackenzie Bodnar of Tasmania gives 5 star 10/10 rating:
Antarctic Dad
by Hazel Edwards and Kevin Burgemeestre
The story is about a family with a mum, a boy and a father. The father goes to work in Antarctica. The boy’s friends don’t believe him at first but he shows them photos.
The illustrations in this book are excellent – bright, big and really bold. I really enjoyed reading Antarctic Dad as my dad has been in East Timor with the Australian Federal Police and I can relate to the boy feeling sad. Children aged 7 to 10 would love this book. Rating: 10/10
Mackensie Bodnar, Tas
May 12, 2010
Families in Transition: Relevance of ‘Antarctic Dad’
By psychologist Judy Parker
As an educational psychologist, I work with many families in transition where
a parent may be away from home for extended periods, and the family has to
make special adjustments to retain regular contact.
• Third Culture Kids e.g. European families in an Asian country where
the child attends an international school.
• An international household with a parent who may be flying to other
Asian countries and maybe home only a couple of nights per month.
• Some Asian students in Australia live with grandparents here while
their parents are in business in Asia.
• Third Culture kids preparing to shift to another culture with an
additional language.
• School of the Air students often have parents working for extended
periods in the outback or remote regions. They may be mustering,
flying or even sailing. Plotting the parent’s GPS locations can be a link.
• Oilrigs and mining camps often have two week on/off rosters, so
working parents may be away for concentrated weeks and then home
fulltime.
• Travelling fathers constantly on overseas trips are the norm for some
transitional families.
• Families where servants cook children’s meals and they eat separately
, missing out on family conversations with a parent about daily ‘good’
and ‘bad’ things.
• Shift workers with changing rosters.
• Some families have to prepare to move to a new country or travel for
extended periods. To reduce the alienation and dislocation, having the
students research on the Internet, get pamphlets and do family projects
on their destination are useful strategies. Often the parent without a
work permit can be more involved.
The family issues and electronic contact portrayed in ‘Antarctic Dad’ are
realistic. The Dad is not a remote ‘Disney’ father but the immediacy of e-mail
means fast accessibility, everyday. ‘Real’ family issues such as homework,
readers, projects, footy games and celebrations such as birthdays are
illustrated as part of the story.
The parents are modelling interest in a wider world by making Dad’s work real
and accessible with digital photos. Dad is involving his family in his work in an
intimate sense , like young children going to his office each day. Involvement
of the class in the project related to the absent parent’s destination makes it
into ‘virtual school’.
In some client families in transition, the Dad takes the kids to school and does
the reading THAT week he’s home and then they cycle home together and
chat about daily news. Some families write notes in envelopes for the Dad’s
suitcase and he opens one per day when he is away.
Nightly mobile contact or e-mails and digital photos such as in ‘Antarctic Dad’
are realistic ways in which families in transition retain contact by discussing
homework or school news. Families often send a soft toy to travel with the
father or be photographed in his changing workplaces.
‘Antarctic Dad’ provides global modelling of compassion for people in
different lands and for environmental issues on a wider scale. That is relevant
for all families.
By psychologist Judy Parker
As an educational psychologist, I work with many families in transition where
a parent may be away from home for extended periods, and the family has to
make special adjustments to retain regular contact.
• Third Culture Kids e.g. European families in an Asian country where
the child attends an international school.
• An international household with a parent who may be flying to other
Asian countries and maybe home only a couple of nights per month.
• Some Asian students in Australia live with grandparents here while
their parents are in business in Asia.
• Third Culture kids preparing to shift to another culture with an
additional language.
• School of the Air students often have parents working for extended
periods in the outback or remote regions. They may be mustering,
flying or even sailing. Plotting the parent’s GPS locations can be a link.
• Oilrigs and mining camps often have two week on/off rosters, so
working parents may be away for concentrated weeks and then home
fulltime.
• Travelling fathers constantly on overseas trips are the norm for some
transitional families.
• Families where servants cook children’s meals and they eat separately
, missing out on family conversations with a parent about daily ‘good’
and ‘bad’ things.
• Shift workers with changing rosters.
• Some families have to prepare to move to a new country or travel for
extended periods. To reduce the alienation and dislocation, having the
students research on the Internet, get pamphlets and do family projects
on their destination are useful strategies. Often the parent without a
work permit can be more involved.
The family issues and electronic contact portrayed in ‘Antarctic Dad’ are
realistic. The Dad is not a remote ‘Disney’ father but the immediacy of e-mail
means fast accessibility, everyday. ‘Real’ family issues such as homework,
readers, projects, footy games and celebrations such as birthdays are
illustrated as part of the story.
The parents are modelling interest in a wider world by making Dad’s work real
and accessible with digital photos. Dad is involving his family in his work in an
intimate sense , like young children going to his office each day. Involvement
of the class in the project related to the absent parent’s destination makes it
into ‘virtual school’.
In some client families in transition, the Dad takes the kids to school and does
the reading THAT week he’s home and then they cycle home together and
chat about daily news. Some families write notes in envelopes for the Dad’s
suitcase and he opens one per day when he is away.
Nightly mobile contact or e-mails and digital photos such as in ‘Antarctic Dad’
are realistic ways in which families in transition retain contact by discussing
homework or school news. Families often send a soft toy to travel with the
father or be photographed in his changing workplaces.
‘Antarctic Dad’ provides global modelling of compassion for people in
different lands and for environmental issues on a wider scale. That is relevant
for all families.
March 23, 2009
This book is a product of Hazel Edwards's trip to Antarctica with the Australian Antarctic Division. I haven't read it, but she did publish a diary of that trip, Antarctic Writer on Ice Diary of an Enduring Adventure.
The book has a fantastic premise - the relationship between an father spending a winter in Antarctica and his child. Unfortunately Hazel Edwards doesn't really build a suspenseful plotline around the premise. Mem Fox states that for a 'story' picture book to work there needs to be a calamity - trouble on a grand scale. Hazel just doesn't create this calamity. Yes the father isn't physically there, but he does email daily, still checks the nameless protagonist's homework and is still very much part of the life of the family. Sure seperation is hard, and email is not the same, so it is 'trouble', but doesn't make it to 'trouble on a grand scale'. The story is really just a sequence 'day-in-the-life' vignettes without any attempt to build the story to a climax.
Probably not a great story for a general audience - but I suspect could be really close to the heart of a child with an absent parent.
The book has a fantastic premise - the relationship between an father spending a winter in Antarctica and his child. Unfortunately Hazel Edwards doesn't really build a suspenseful plotline around the premise. Mem Fox states that for a 'story' picture book to work there needs to be a calamity - trouble on a grand scale. Hazel just doesn't create this calamity. Yes the father isn't physically there, but he does email daily, still checks the nameless protagonist's homework and is still very much part of the life of the family. Sure seperation is hard, and email is not the same, so it is 'trouble', but doesn't make it to 'trouble on a grand scale'. The story is really just a sequence 'day-in-the-life' vignettes without any attempt to build the story to a climax.
Probably not a great story for a general audience - but I suspect could be really close to the heart of a child with an absent parent.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews