Courtney Act’s New Children’s Book Is All Confetti & Rainbows
Image: Photos: Supplied
Whether on stage, screen or the page, Courtney Act knows the magic that happens when someone feels truly seen. Her new children’s book, Confetti and the Rainbow Garden, is a joyous celebration of that very idea.
Beautifully illustrated by Dylan Finney, Confetti and the Rainbow Garden is a tender story about a wattle named Confetti, who explores a rainbow garden filled with diverse flowers and characters, each blooming in their own special way.
“I wanted to write a lovely little story about seeing what everybody else likes and taking it all in and seeing the beauty in all of it,” she tells Star Observer. “But then also being able to work out and understand what it is specifically that you love.”
Brisbane-born Courtney — whose real name is Shane Jenek — explains that Confetti actually sprouted from her 2022 memoir Caught in the Act, which she wrote during lockdown.
“I wrote this story that was like an allegory for a little house on a street.” The story eventually became the epilogue of her memoir, and an idea that she wanted to continue to pursue.
Finney’s lush illustrations bring the flora and fauna of the story to life. Courtney says Finney “just nailed it,” and lights up talking about their collaboration.
“I think Dylan has really done the heavy lifting with the amazing illustrations. Some of the pages remind me of kids’ books I loved when I was little, like the Graeme Base books The Eleventh Hour and Animalia.”
At its heart, Confetti and the Rainbow Garden is about discovering who you are, and how that fits within a bigger, brighter world. “Each friend that has read this has [had] a completely different interpretation,” Courtney says.
“One friend was like, ‘Ah, this is a story about a kid with ADHD.’ Another saw her textured hair in the character,” she explains. “Different people have got different takeaways, which is lovely.”
View this post on Instagram
Recently, Courtney read Confetti to a group of children in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. “It was just so adorable,” she laughs. “The kids were obsessed with the ibis on each page. It was heartwarming to see how a children’s book can inspire a love of learning and creativity.”
That message has taken on special significance amid increasing conservative attacks on queer storytelling and drag queen storytime events. Courtney, however, refuses to feed the outrage machine, and shrugs off negativity.
“[Those] voices are so, so few and far between. When you look at all of the support and celebration, there’s so much more of that,” she explains. “There’s like three people who care, and they make a lot of noise, whereas most Australians can see what a lovely book and a lovely story it is.”
Now writing has become an enduring passion for Courtney, and she names some great queer Australian authors as her inspiration, including Benjamin Law, Shannon Molloy and Christos Tsiolkas.
She tells Star Observer she is delving into the world of fiction.
“When you’re writing a memoir, you’re somewhat beholden to the truth. When you’re writing fiction, you can do anything you want,” she says, in anticipation of the freedom of her next venture.
“I’m working on a romance novel, which is fun,” she says with a grin. When we ask for confirmation it’ll be a queer romance story, Courtney laughs. “Of course! Would I be writing a book about straight romance?”
You May Also Like
