By Nick Bland Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Nick Bland is one of Australia’s most popular and prolific creators, responsible for The Very Cranky Bear series, and the hilarious Bunny and Bird series which include How to Hatch a Dragon, How […]

By Billie Rooney &  Anke Noack Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “We share the world with many creatures. Some move by day, others by night. In a town bustling with cars and buses, kangaroos thump, thump as if to say, ‘This […]

By Helen Milroy Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “So many joeys, puggles and pups. Let’s look after our precious bush bubs.” Australian native animals range in size, characteristics and habitat, but when we talk about their babies, with their special names, […]

By Hayley Gannon Illustrated by Michelle Conn Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Hayley Gannon is a teacher librarian working in Canberra. She loves writing about real family and school life so that readers can see themselves in books. In her debut […]

By Eoin Colfer Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat Reviewed by Sophia Evans Here’s a story for those who like to read about Christmas at any time of the year. Juniper’s Christmas follows protagonist Juniper Lane as she discovers the science behind […]

By Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Sophia Evans ‘Deep in the ocean, far beyond the reach of even the brightest sun, the earth quakes.’ Thorough research is interwoven with lyrical language to bring the journey of a new […]

By Tina Strachan & Max Hamilton Reviewed by Sophia Evans I’ve always loved a good book that includes a map at the front and this book fits that category to a tee. Neeka and the Missing Key is the first […]

By Eliza Hull & Sally Rippin, & Daniel Gray-Barnett Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray The World We Can Build comes to us from the team behind award-winning title Come Over To My House (2022), and continues that book’s plea for […]

By Heidi Cooper Smith Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Heidi Cooper Smith is a Brisbane based Illustrator and also author of her own picture books, Six Sleepy Mice, Too Many Ducks, Odd Sock Sid, and Secrets of the Seasons. At first […]

Emma loves all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror, but has a particular soft spot for reading and writing YA. Her debut YA novel Anomaly was published by Affirm Press in 2024 after an early draft was selected for the Varuna and Affirm Press […]

The beauty of picture books is the opportunity to illustrate aspects that the text does not include. After completing her illustration degree at Leeds Arts University in 2021, Blithe now lives in Brisbane, Australia. When not drawing, she can be […]

‘It’s about supporting the text, enriching it, trying to surprise.’ Mia Macrossan talks to Hélène Magisson who is a critically acclaimed Australian illustrator of many books for children. Before Hélène turned to book illustration, she was a painting restorer in […]