What is ‘Make Family Magic’?

Make Family Magic has been created to help parents and carers raise their children, especially in the first five years – which are both very, very important and very, very demanding.

Make Family Magic aims to support better family relationships and happier homes, because these are some of the most important ingredients to make a healthy, thriving child.

And they also help make healthy, thriving grown-ups.

Make Family Magic puts a spotlight on how reading together can help parents with the tough job of raising children.

Children’s books (often called ‘picture books’, because they bring text and pictures together so powerfully) can turn hard, tiring days into happy, restful nights for everyone.

Picture books invite you and your child to explore other worlds together…but don’t be fooled! The secret of picture books is that they can actually help you to explore and enjoy each other.

That is their magic.

Who created ‘Make Family Magic’?

My name is Renee Imbesi and I am this website is my creation.

I am the mother of three young children and the partner of one amazing grown-up. I am also the sister, daughter, godmother and friend to many more.

I live in Naarm (Melbourne), although as a settler my ancestors are from around the world. I have Italian, Sri Lankan and Indian cultures in my family heritage, but I have lived nearly my whole life in Australia.

Make Family Magic brings together my ferocious love for my family with my passion for books and reading. I am sharing this love with the aim of making parenting and family life more rewarding for others…and also to make it much more fun! Picture books are very good at creating fun.

That is also their magic.

What’s inside ‘Make Family Magic’?

All the articles here are for parents and carers. And anyone else who cares deeply about children.

The Parenting in Real Time blog tells stories from my own experience as a Mama. There are so many times that picture books have helped me and my children, and there are so many picture books that have shaped our family. In these short stories, I describe how their magic has changed my life.

The Best Books for Tricky Topics section points to the picture books that can help you answer hard questions. Children have a wide-eyed wonder about their world, but some of what they encounter may be hard to explain. From poverty, to gender diversity, and so much more, this section will help you accept the questions (not change the subject). Thanks to picture books, you don’t have to have all the answers.

The Help is Here blog brings you interviews and advice from real people. There are librarians, teachers, children’s authors and more with great tips on how to build stronger connections with your kids. Plus you can find out a little about their own stories.

The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section gets to the hard stuff about reading together. Even if you are convinced that reading together will help you and your family, you may still be finding it difficult. In this section we respond to some of the most common challenges for parents and carers – like, what if English is not my first language? And, how can I get my toddler to sit still? And finally, am I the only one finding this hard? (Spoiler: no, you are not. Like most things in parenting, you are not the first or only one going through it. What a relief!)

If you have suggestions for topics, please get in touch.

We want to hear your stories.

Get in touch from the Contact Us page