‘Magic Beach’ Movie Captures Alison Lester’s Love of Play

Australian author Alison Lester is one of the country’s most prolific, having published over 25 children’s picture books with her 1990 release Magic Beach remaining a bestseller.

Key Points

• Mixing illustrated animation with live action, Magic Beach affirms Alison’s belief that “it’s really important for [kids] to have play”.
• Alison’s books carry a consistent thread about believing in yourself, leaning into what makes you unique and living courageously.
• Magic Beach is in cinemas now.

Magic Beach is now a movie and 35 years after Alison wrote it, she feels “it’s a very beautiful thing” to see the Australian stories in her work on screen.

“It’s hugely important,” Alison told Hope 103.2.

“You want to see your own lives reflected [in entertainment].

Mixing illustrated animation with live action, Magic Beach affirms Alison’s belief that “it’s really important for [kids] to have play”.

“If all you’re watching is coming from somewhere else, it kind of diminishes your self-worth but if the things you’re watching reflect your life, it makes your [confidence] grow.”

Directed by Robert Connolly (The Dry, Paper Planes) Magic Beach is about nine children and a dog, who read the classic book and then discover when they go to the beach their imaginative tales of rescuing kings and queens, battling pirates and exploring new lands all come to life.

Mixing illustrated animation with live action, Magic Beach affirms Alison’s belief that “it’s really important for [kids] to have play”.

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“They’re giving their minds room to imagine,” Alison said.

“[Instead of] having things directed at them that don’t give them the ownership and space to do their own thing.”

Alison agrees there’s something about the beach that just makes dreams feel possible.

Alison’s books carry a consistent thread about believing in yourself, leaning into what makes you unique and living courageously.

“You walk out onto that sand, and you can just feel yourself [relaxing],” Alison said.

“For kids, there’s sand, there’s water, there’s rocks, there’s shells, there’s birds flying overhead – you couldn’t make up a better scenario if you tried.”

Reading Alison’s books, there’s a consistent thread about believing in yourself, leaning into what makes you unique and living courageously, but she’s never consciously made that a part of her style.

“I don’t really understand it,” Alison said.

“But I am a big believer in being as a good a person as I can be.

“I’m an optimist, I always want to see the best – although mind you I can be a [grump] – but I do really believe in kindness and generosity and joy.

“It always comes back to you in spades.”

Magic Beach is in cinemas now.

Images: Photos supplied by Madman Entertainment and used with permission. Background header image by CanvaPro