The Poppykettle Papers
Encyclopedia
The Poppykettle Papers is a children's book written in 1999 by Michael Lawrence and illustrated by Robert R. Ingpen
.
The story follows mythical, ancient, Peru
vian gnome
s whose story is discovered in the modern day by two boys who find The Poppykettle Papers.
, a children's book. He later published The Unchosen Land, its sequel.
These stories were so popular in Ingpen's home, Geelong, that a fountain and an annual Poppykettle Festival celebrate the mythical landing of the "hairy Peruvians".
The Poppykettle Papers is an updated re-telling of the original two books.
One such story is the discovery in 1847, by Governor Charles La Trobe
, of a set of keys embedded in the earth near Corio Bay
. These keys, known as the Geelong Keys
, are believed by some to have been dropped by Portuguese explorers some hundreds of years previously, but the Poppykettle Papers suggest another origin -- namely, that the Hairy Peruvians left them there.
Robert Ingpen
Robert Roger Ingpen is an Australian graphic designer, illustrator, and author.-Early life:Ingpen was born in Geelong Australia and attended Geelong College to 1957...
.
The story follows mythical, ancient, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s whose story is discovered in the modern day by two boys who find The Poppykettle Papers.
Background
In 1980, Robert Ingpen published The Voyage of the PoppykettleThe Voyage of the Poppykettle
The Voyage of the Poppykettle is a 1980 children's book about a group of "hairy Peruvians" setting out from Peru to discover Australia...
, a children's book. He later published The Unchosen Land, its sequel.
These stories were so popular in Ingpen's home, Geelong, that a fountain and an annual Poppykettle Festival celebrate the mythical landing of the "hairy Peruvians".
The Poppykettle Papers is an updated re-telling of the original two books.
Historical and folkloric references
The book ties in to various historical and folkloric stories of Australia's early settlement.One such story is the discovery in 1847, by Governor Charles La Trobe
Charles La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria .-Early life:La Trobe was born in London, the son of Christian Ignatius Latrobe, a family of Huguenot origin...
, of a set of keys embedded in the earth near Corio Bay
Corio Bay
Corio Bay is one of numerous bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay.-Name:...
. These keys, known as the Geelong Keys
Geelong Keys
The Geelong Keys were a set of keys discovered in 1845 or 1846 in the time of Governor Charles La Trobe at Corio Bay in Victoria, Australia. They were embedded in the stone of the beach in such a way as to make him believe that they had been there for 100–150 years...
, are believed by some to have been dropped by Portuguese explorers some hundreds of years previously, but the Poppykettle Papers suggest another origin -- namely, that the Hairy Peruvians left them there.