The Inspiration…

Throughout her teaching journey, Josephine was constantly looking for ways to engage children who found learning mathematics challenging. In this pursuit she found that one such way was to use literature. Some students relate better to stories than numbers so using stories as a pathway to learning the maths made sense. Using a story to teach maths can allow children to make valuable connection with the concepts being taught, provide a memory that could be attached to the learning and also be a bit of fun.

THE GREAT APPLE SURPRISE and the power of TEN was conceived during a long, cold Melbourne lockdown in 2020 based on an idea that had been brewing for several years. Turning to her family for inspiration, the characters of THE GREAT APPLE SURPRISE and the power of TEN were named after Josephine’s children, nieces, and nephews. It was amazing how seamlessly, all the cousins fit into the story, along with their grandparents, Nannu Charlie and Nanna Lora.

With the encouragement of a dear friend, also a teacher and lover of maths, Josephine sent her manuscript to Little Steps publishing, and as they say, the rest is history.

The “real life” versions of the characters from the book.
Back (L to R): Zach, Nanna Lora, Charli- Jane, Nannu Charlie, Rebecca,
Front (L to R): Gavin, Claudia, Simon, Georgia and James

This story has now become a tribute to her parents; her late father, Nannu Charlie, and 90 year old mother, Nanna Lora. Although, Nannu Charlie was not a farmer, he loved mathematics. He loved it’s beauty and how it could be used to solve real life problems. Nanna Lora loved feeding people, especially her eight grandchildren, whenever they visited. These are qualities they passed on to Josephine - who loves teaching children and helping them make sense of mathematics and loves to bake and share her treats with the family.