Hume, Lachie

Personal

Born in Australia; son of Alison Lester (an author). Education: Melbourne University, degree (agriculture science).

Addresses

Home and office—Victoria, Australia.

Career

Author.

Awards, Honors

Children's Book of the Year Award shortlist, and Crichton Award for New Illustrators, both 2007, both for Clancy the Courageous Cow.

Writings

Clancy the Courageous Cow, Greenwillow Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

Lachie Hume's first children's book, Clancy the Courageous Cow, was written when its author was twelve years old. The manuscript became a book several years later, after Hume's mother, children's author Alison Lester, presented her son's manuscript at school visits as an example of what young writers could create. When the story proved entertaining and popular, Lester decided to help her son become a published author.

Featuring artwork by its author, Clancy the Courageous Cow features a message about the value of being different. Clancy is different from the rest of the herd: all black, he is missing the distinctive white stripe characteristic of other Belted Galloway cows. Wishing to fit in with his herd, Clancy attempts to add a white stripe by rolling in the snow, splashing powder sugar around his girth, and even painting on a white streak. Although the cow's efforts fail, Clancy ultimately discovers that being completely black gives him an advantage when he is able to sneak into a protected grazing field at night and eat his fill of fresh grass. So big and strong that he wins the coveted cow wrestling award, the cow makes it a point to banish all the biases between the differing cows.

Reviewing Clancy the Courageous Cow, a critic for Kirkus Reviews labeled Hume's bovine drama "a wonderfully silly take on the idea that physical differences can unify as well as separate." Laura Monsalvatge, in her assessment of Hume's picture book for Childhood Education, concluded that young readers will enjoy "a story that teaches the lesson that we all have a place together."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 15, 2007, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 53.

Books, March 4, 2007, Mary Harris Russell, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 7.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March, 2007, Deborah Stevenson, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 295.

Childhood Education, winter 2007, Laura Monsalvatge, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 107.

Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2007, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 74.

Publishers Weekly, March 12, 2007, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 56.

School Library Journal, March, 2007, Kara Schaff Dean, review of Clancy the Courageous Cow, p. 174.

ONLINE

Australian Broadcast Corporation Web site,http://www.abc.net.au/ (June 9, 2007), "Clancy the Courageous Cow."

HarperCollins Web site,http://www.harpercollins.com/ (June 7, 2008), "Lachie Hume."