The Takoradi Run
A graphic novel about my uncle Ron and his kitbag full of cash.
In my mother’s family album, there were empty spaces where photographs had been removed. Only the triangular photo corners remained. Who had been taken out I wondered. Was it my mysterious uncle that nobody in the family ever mentioned?
We were a buttoned-down Presbyterian family where the most important thing was to be normal. We had to be a normal, post-war, middle-class family, like the other normal middle-class families in our normal middle-class street. Anything else was edited out of the picture. I knew not to ask about my uncle.
Towards the end of her life my mother began to put photographs of her brother Ron back into the family album. There was one of him in his Airforce flying kit standing on the wing of a biplane.
‘I took that at his passing out parade at Ohakea.’ she said.
‘He was in the Airforce?’
‘Yes, he joined up in 1939.’ I asked her if Ron was still alive. She was reticent, then told me he was living in a pensioner flat in Blockhouse Bay. It turned out she had been in touch with him for years.
I suggested I could go and meet him. She didn’t say no. A month later I knocked on the door of the flat in Blockhouse Bay. A modest concrete block box in a row of modest concrete block boxes. This is the story he told me.
The Takoradi Run is published by Published in 2026 by Bateman books.
Here is an interview on RNZ about the book.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/anzacday/audio/2019032598/the-takoradi-run
Jack & Sandy
One war, two friends, three generations.
Published by Bateman books
Read the Kete Books review here:
https://www.ketebooks.co.nz/all-book-reviews/jack-and-sandy-kerr
Toby and Terry on Two Sketches
Changing Times – The story of a New Zealand town and its newspaper. Potton and Burton. 2016.
An Animation for this book trailer was made by Ahmad Habash. You can see more of Ahmad’s work Here. The sound design and the music was made by Andrew Laking. Andrew and I have recently collaborated on his book The empire City – Songs about Wellington.
Terry Teo and the Gunrunners. A new edition by Earths End Publishing, 2015
Best Mates. By Philippa Werry and Bob Kerr. Hew Holland, 2014.
Field punishment No.1 by David Grant with paintings by Bob Kerr. Steele Roberts, 2008.
Waiheathens – Voices From a Mining Town. 2011. Atuanui Press
After the War. Mallinson Rendel, 2000. (Finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards and winner of the Russel Clark Award for 2001)
Mechanical Harry and the Flying Bicycle. Mallinson Rendel, 1999.
Strange Tales From the Mall. Mallinson Rendel, 1998. (Finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards)
Mechanical Harry. Mallinson Rendel 1996. (Winner of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards children’s choice award.)
The Paper War. Mallinson Rendel, 1994
The Day of the Snow. Story by Joy Cowley, illustrations by Bob Kerr, Mallinson Rendel, 1994.
The Day of the Rain. Story by Joy Cowley, illustrations by Bob Kerr. Mallinson Rendel.1993. (Finalist in the Aim Children’s Book Awards)
The Optimist. Mallinson Rendel, 1992. Winner of the best first book award and an honour award in the Aim Children’s Book Awards.
For a Living. A collection of short stories edited by Linda Mitchell and Bob Kerr. Working Life Publications. 1991.
Terry and the Last Moa. Hodder and Stoughton, 1999.
Terry and the Yodelling Bull. Words by Stephen Ballantyne, illustrations by Bob Kerr, Finlayson Hill. 1986
Terry and the Gunrunners. Words by Stephen Ballantyne, illustrations by Bob Kerr. Collins, 1982. Terry and the gunrunners was later adapted into a six part television series by Television New Zealand. you can watch episode one of the TV series here: http://www.nzonscreen.com
Lucy Loops the Loop. Collins, 1978.
Lucy’s Big Plan. Collins, 1977.
Awards
- AIM Children’s Book Awards 1993 Junior Fiction shortlist for The Optimist.
- AIM Children’s Book Awards 1993 Best First Book Award for The Optimist.
- AIM Children’s Book Awards 1994 Picture Book shortlist for The Day of the Rain.
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 1997 Children’s Choice Winner for Mechanical Harry.
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 1997 Picture Book shortlist for Mechanical Harry.
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 1999 Junior Fiction shortlist for Strange Tales from the Mall.
- Storylines Notable Books List 2000 Picture Book list for Mechanical Harry and the Flying Bicycle.
- Russell Clark Award 2001 Winner for After the War.
- Esther Glen Award 2001 shortlist for After the War.
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2001 Picture Book shortlist for After the War.
- PANZ Book Design Awards 2001 Best Use of Illustration Winner for After the War.
- Storylines Notable Books List 2001 Picture Book list for After the War.
- Storylines Notable Books List 2016 for Changing Times.
- New Zealand Children’s Book Awards short list in the illustration and in the non fiction catergories for Changing Times.