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Jules and Pierre-Jacques Ober
Author | Illustrator | Grade 3-6
Victorian

Pierre-Jacques and Jules Ober are a French/Australian creative duo who tell stories with photos of miniature figurines. Their first two books, ‘The Good Son’ and ‘Jacqueline – a soldier’s daughter’ have won prizes in Australia and France for their totally original visual style and their ability to entertain and move audiences, young and old. Jules has made 2 other books using photography of miniatures: ‘Tarni’s Chance’ and ‘Rockpooling with Pup’ will also be included in the presentation. Our workshops are generally conducted in two parts and feature lots of pictures (projector required). Pierre-Jacques talks about his love of dressing up, film making, toy soldiers and the historical background of the stories. Jules then takes over with an insight into the process used for making the books and how drama and emotion can be drawn out of little plastic figures. Finally, the participants are invited to come and try toy photography of a miniature set that has been constructed especially for the day. They can experiment with taking pictures on a phone, digital camera or ipad.

Please note: We prefer to work with groups no larger than 25 as our presentation is interactive and this number gives the best experience to all students. Groups larger than this (up to 35 students) would require 90 minutes at an additional fee per session.

Books by Jules and Pierre-Jacques Ober

Jacqueline: A Soldier’s Daughter

Best Suited 9+ Years
An only child, Jacqueline always dreamt of having a sister. Amid the turmoil of a world at war when the adults have seemingly gone mad, she embarks on a perilous journey and ultimately finds a sister in a most unexpected way.

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Rockpooling With Pup

Best Suited 5-8 Years
Mia and Pup go down to the seaside to explore the pools where amazing sea creatures live.
They didn’t expect to go on a quest…
Come with us and explore the world that’s at your feet.

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Tarni’s Chance

Best Suited 7+ Years
When Tarni’s mum says goodbye, all the colour and joy of life seem to go with her. Tarni retreats into her bubble. But then Chance steps in…

Tarni retreats inside her bubble when her parents fight, but when her mum finally leaves, Tarni’s bubble shrinks until almost all the colour and joy of life fade away, leaving her alone with her sorrow and grief. Then she notices a dog down on the street and her life changes once more. Chance the street dog brings colour, companionship and joy back to Tarni’s life.

Tarni’s Chance deals with the difficult subject of childhood depression and grief in simple, concrete terms and provides an optimistic and comforting conclusion to reassure young readers.

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The Good Son: A Story from the First World War, Told in Miniature

Best Suited 8-14 Years
About one hundred years ago, the whole world went to war.
The war was supposed to last months. It lasted years.

It is Christmastime, 1914, and World War I rages. A young French soldier named Pierre had quietly left his regiment to visit his family for two days, and when he returned, he was imprisoned. Now he faces execution for desertion, and as he waits in isolation, he meditates on big questions: the nature of patriotism, the horrors of war, the joys of friendship, the love of family, and how even in times of danger, there is a whole world inside every one of us. And how sometimes that world is the only refuge. Its publication coinciding with the centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, this moving and sparely narrated story, based on true events, is reenacted in fascinating miniature scenes that convey the emotional complexity of the tale. Notes from the creators explore the innovative process and their personal connection to the story.

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