By Mark Rafidi & Paul O’Sullivan Hawkeye Publishing 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Mark Rafidi comes from mixed heritage and his stories explore identity, belonging, and the intricacies of Australian society. Paul O’Sullivan is the illustrator for Gary Crew’s picture […]

By Caitlin Henderson & Annie Henderson CSIRO Publishing 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan A book about Australian spiders told by sisters Caitlin (words) and Annie (pictures). Told in verse and illustrated in bold closeup with expressive human reactions this is […]

By David Gullan & Samantha Metcalfe CSIRO Publishing 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan David Gullan is a primary school teacher, whose love of Australian wildlife has found expression in writing picture books including Life in a Hollow and Last Bat […]

By Shirley Marr & Michael Speechley Walker Books, 2026 Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Mouse lives in a barley field as big as the entire world, but as the seasons turn, the weather cools, and the barley turns yellow, it is time […]

By P Crumble & Lucinda Gifford Larrikin House 2026 Reviewed by Zewlan Moor  Kevin the Cat has a hankering for custard. He really, really wants it, and turns his nose up at all sorts of other treats, including sardines and […]

By Howard McKenzie-Murray Fremantle Press 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Ditching her roommate to hang out in the laundromat (without any clothes to wash, mind you) isn’t how Maud had planned to spend her twenty-first birthday. But she finds herself […]

By Margot McGovern Penguin 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey This Stays Between Us is a creepy horror throwback to the 90s and 00s era that does not disappoint. The second novel from multi-award winning South Australian author Margot McGovern, this […]

Written and illustrated by Samareh Azadi Otter Barry Books 2026 Reviewed by Dimity Powell One of the most seemingly benign ‘firsts’ a parent and their child have to face – the first hair cut … in a salon – is […]

By Mia Macrossan Suzanne Leal is the author of novels The Watchful Wife, The Teacher’s Secret and The Deceptions, winner of the Nib People’s Choice Prize.  Her novel for middle-grade readers, Running with Ivan, is on the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notables List for Younger Readers […]

By Mia Macrossan Suzanne Leal is the author of novels The Watchful Wife, The Teacher’s Secret and The Deceptions, winner of the Nib People’s Choice Prize.  Her novel for middle-grade readers, Running with Ivan, is on the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notables List for Younger Readers […]

Meet Dr Julia Lawrinson who is many things, presenter, teacher and consultant, living on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar (Perth, Western Australia). She delivers a wide range of author talks and workshops for people of all ages, as well as presenting interactive […]

By Mia Macrossan Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates wonderful stories for children. He has created over twenty books, many of which have been shortlisted or won prestigious awards, including My Brother Ben, Leo and Ralph and The Elephant. His latest […]