Waipawa student gets accolade for artwork

Waipawa School student Kat Mooney with the bookmark design that gained her runner-up in the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop bookmark design competition.

Waipawa School student Kat Mooney has once again gained an accolade for her artwork, being named a runner-up in the national Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop bookmark design competition.

Last year Kat won the top prize in her age group - she was also the only winner that wasn’t from an Auckland school.

With one success under her belt, and this being the last year she can enter before moving on to CHB College, Kat took on the challenge again.

This year’s theme was “Bugs and Butterflies” and as soon as entries came out and the theme was announced Kat was planning her approach.

“I wanted to include a butterfly and a firefly. One for the daylight and one that only comes out at night.

“I started with the butterfly, changed it around a few times and the firefly developed from there. I wanted to keep it simple - like I did last year.

“I wasn’t sure how I would go, but I was really pleased to get runner-up. I got a lovely email and a $25 book voucher.”

Kat says she’s still as keen on art as ever, and is looking forward to exploring the art department when she goes to CHB College next year.

She says she’d encourage anyone keen on art to have a go at the bookmark competition next year.

The competition is run annually by the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop.

Dorothy Butler OBE was a pioneering expert on children’s literacy and reading. She wrote many books for children, as well as books about the importance of reading for children, including Babies Need Books. She started her first bookshop in her family’s house on Auckland’s North Shore. In 1972, the business moved into a shop, and then in 1985 moved again to Ponsonby.

In the 1993 New Year Honours, Dorothy Butler was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to children’s literature.