What does it mean to begin again, when everything has been swept away? In Higher Ground, celebrated Australian children's author-illustrator Tull Suwannakit, presents a deeply moving and visually stunning story of resilience, intergenerational wisdom, and courage.
Author Shaun Tan praises the book as "A heartfelt and timely tale of hope in the face of environmental collapse, and how wisdom is passed from one generation to another against all odds."
After a great flood, a grandmother, her two grandchildren, and their pet rabbit are left to survive on the roof of their home—nurturing a small garden of hope, resourcefulness and routine. Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months. But amid the isolation and scarcity, life lessons bloom.
"My son also plays an important role as a catalyst for the inspiration of this book. I wanted to create a survival guide/journal/diary that contains life lessons and basic survival skills, without relying on technology, as a way to inspire readers."
Tull Suwannakit's beautiful and distinctive watercolour and graphite illustrations lend a delicate and immersive visual atmosphere, capturing both the vastness of disaster and the intimacy of healing. His minimalist prose serves as an emotional anchor, making the story ideal for emerging readers.
Born in Thailand, Tull Suwannakit attended boarding school in Singapore at age nine—an experience that shaped his understanding of distance, independence and emotional endurance. Higher Ground, draws deeply from his memories of his grandmother, as well as his childhood living away from home.
About the Author
Tull Suwannakit is a children's author and illustrator whose work has been translated into multiple languages and published by New Frontier, Scholastic Press, Walker Books, Candlewick Press and others. His books have been featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, The New York Times, and on ABC's Play School. He is graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design and has a Masters of Fine Arts with Distinction from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne. Along with his bookmaking, Tull is also an art teacher and uses his experience in visual arts and storytelling to promote creative expression for people of all ages. He lives in rural Victoria with his son and their dog.
About the book:
Higher Ground by Tull Suwannakit, New Frontier Publishing, rrp:$32.99 Hardback. Available now at all good bookstores and online.
High Praise for Higher Ground
Shaun Tan, award winning artist, writer and film maker.
"Tull's gentle evocative novel has moments of great joy and wonder as seen through the eyes of a child."
Gabrielle Wang, 2024 Victorian Premiers' Reading Ambassador & Australian Children's Laureate 2022–2023
"A beautiful and touching story, where hope blossoms"
Sandhya Parappukkaran, award winning picture book author
"A stunning work full of imagination, beauty and hope."
Zeno Sworder, award winning writer, artist and children's book maker
"A captivating story of resilience and hope in a climate-changed world."
Claire Saxby, fiction, non-fiction and poetry writer for young people.
"A book to be reckoned with."
Libby Hawthorn, Award winning book author
"It's simply special. Age guide 6-100."
Rowena Morcom Editor, Good Reading Magazine
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Key Facts:
• A unique hybrid of graphic novel, illustrated fiction and picture book • Explores themes of family, resilience, environmental change and emotional strength • Entry point for conversations on climate, grief, and hope • Sparse, accessible prose supports literacy for all readers
About us:
New Frontier Publishing was established in Australia in 2002 with the motto 'to inspire, educate and uplift children'. Our expertise is in primary school age books. The UK list was launched in 2017, which included Fiction and Picture Books. In 2019 we expanded into early years titles with our new Catch A Star imprint. Our aim is to introduce international authors and illustrators to the world stage. New Frontier publishes books that children will want to read again and again. Our books are of the highest quality as we believe children deserve the best. https://www.newfrontier.com.au/
