How to Draw A Dragon
By Kate Talbot Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Kate Talbot is an Australian-born, New Zealand-based children's picture book illustrator who enjoys creating quirky characters and vibrant illustrations. How to Draw a Dragon is Talbot’s debut picture book as an author and illustrator. This hilarious
Say Hello
By Renae Hayward & Rebecca Mills Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This creative team also produced Say Hooray, a joyful celebration of some of the milestones in a baby’s first year. Say Hello is another quality board book with bold bright colours and
Landovel
The Poison Taster, The Secret Keeper, The Truth Teller By Emily Rodda Reviewed by Mia Macrossan I am a judge for the 2024 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging
Urban Legend Hunters: The Dreaded Mr Snipe
Written by Joel McKerrow Illustrated by Wayne Bryant Reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Joel McKerrow is a well-regarded poet, known for his poetry collections, poetry performances and spoken word/music albums, and he has bravely and successfully stepped into a new literary area, graphic novels
Design & Building on Country: First Knowledges for younger readers
By Alison Page & Paul Memmott Illustrated by Blak Douglas Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This title is part of the First Knowledges for Younger People series which celebrates the wisdom and ingenuity of the First Peoples of Australia. They aim to give children
Dot! Scribble! Go!
By Hervé Tullet Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Hervé is well known for his innovative interactive picture books for very young children. They include Press Here, Mix it Up! and Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance! Here is another gem to add to
Riley’s Failproof Guide to BREAKING a School Record
Written by Dani Vee Illustrations by Jules Faber Reviewed by Sophia Evans Riley's Failproof Guide to Breaking a School Record is a pun-tastic middle-grade novel that follows Riley Noodle, who has been trying to break a school record for seven years. She is
My Family and Other Suspects
By Kate Emery Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Kate made her debut with the sparkling The Not So Chosen One, a YA fantasy. She has switched genres with My Family and Other Suspects, a seriously funny mystery story full of red herrings, suspicious
Shadow Play
By Kate Forsyth & Rosalie Street Reviewed by Meg Rowe Renowned Australian author Kate Forsyth’s award-winning books span adult fiction, non-fiction, essays, poetry, and children’s writing, including the recently published Long Lost Fairy Tales, illustrated by Lorena Carrington (2024). Forsyth’s latest picture
Walls
By Tania Ingram & Ruth-Mary Smith Reviewed by Shan O'Shea A small book with a big message, this story is about building walls to feel safe, and then discovering that communication is better than isolation. When a knight and a Viking each believe
Penny Draws a Secret Adventure Penny Draws#3
By Sara Shepard Reviewed by Jamie Willis Sara Shepard has done it again with the third book in her Penny Draws series, Penny Draws a Secret Adventure. Sara might be most well known for her New York Times best-selling YA series, Pretty
My Brother, Finch
Written by Kate Gordon Reviewed by Jamie Willis Kate Gordon is an award-winning author of children’s and young adult fiction. Her novel Aster’s Good, Right Things won the CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers in 2021, and in 2023, Xavier in
Jawsome: Jawsome 1 & Licence to Rock: Jawsome 2
Written and illustrated by R. J. Timmis Reviewed by Jamie Willis Rebecca Timmis is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than 13 children’s books, including the Mertales series. In 2023 Jawsome #1 won a Golden Taco in the Laugh Out Loud
Words That Taste Like Home
By Sandhya Parappukkaran & Michelle Pereira Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira are both award-winning creators. Together, they have produced the picture books, The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (Notable book, winner of the 2022 CBCA Book of
The Best Present Ever
By Zoë Foster Blake & Lucinda Gifford Reviewed by Mia Macrossan All children adore presents and here is a catalogue of imagined perfect gifts - ranging from magical creatures to candy-filled swimming pools. Obviously money, time, space, local government guidelines and bylaws
Ferris
By Kate DiCamillo Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Kate DiCamillo writes whimsical and thought-provoking stories that have delighted and enchanted readers for the last twenty years. Her books have been awarded the Newbery Medal (Flora & Ulysses in 2014 and The Tale of
A Really Short Journey Through the Body
An illustrated edition of the bestselling book about our incredible anatomy By Bill Bryson adapted by Emma Young, illustrated by Daniel Long, Dawn Cooper, Jesús Sotés and Katie Ponder. Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Bill Bryson was born in America but now lives and
Yarn Quest series #1, 2 & 3
#1 The Search for the Story Realm #2 The Great River Rescue #3 The Power of the Heart By Brooke Scobie illustrated by Jade Goodwin Reviewed by Mia Macrossan I am a judge for the 2024 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and
I am Tree Rex
By Mo Davey Reviewed by Mia Macrossan A strong environmental theme gently delivered is at the core of Mo Davey’s debut picture book about a tree hugging dinosaur. Rex, a little green dinosaur, lives in a forest with his 21 trees which he
Bernie Thinks in Boxes
By Jess Horn & Zoe Bennett Reviewed by Meg Rowe Jess Horn’s debut picture book Bernie Thinks in Boxes is a quiet celebration of one little girl’s unique way of navigating the world around her. It is a delightfully fresh and inventive
Stickboy
By Rebecca Young & Matt Ottley Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Stickboy is a unique and mature picture book from the collaborative team behind 2018’s much lauded Teacup. In a similar vein to that story, a lone figure holds the future in
The Glass Horse of Venice
By Arnold Zable & Anita Lester Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The book was inspired by a chance meeting in Venice and speaks to one of Arnold’s core beliefs, that in the face of dislocation and change, children have a need for a
Marringa Lullaby
By Emily Wurramara & Sylvia Wurramarrba Kkac Illustrated by Dylan Mooney Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Emily is an Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter. Here she and Sylvia have teamed up with Dylan, a Yuwi, Torres Strait and South Sea Islander man from Mackay
Lights Out, Little Dragon
By Debra Tidball & Rae Tan Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is the award-winning Australian author Debra Tidball’s second interactive story for younger children. In The CBCA Notable Book 2018, The Scared Book, the author asks the reader and listener to blow
How to Free a Jinn
By Raidah Shah Idil Reviewed by Helen Gearing It is difficult to believe this book is a debut. Malay-Australian author Raidah Shah Idil brings Kuala Lumpur to vivid (humid!) life in this thrilling middle-grade adventure exploring themes of migration, family, and faith. ‘Mama
When Dinosaurs Roamed Australia
By Sarah Jane Lightfoot Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is Sarah's second book, the first being Down the Road Little Bee, 2021, a bee's search for pollen across the Australian suburban landscape. The title of When Dinosaurs Roamed Australia speaks for itself,
Anomaly
By Emma Lord Reviewed by Lucille Rose This action-filled dystopian thriller follows the story of young Piper Manning, one of the only survivors of the strange infection that swept across the world fifty-two days ago. Isolated on a farm in New South
Let’s Try Again Another Day
By Charlotte Barkla & Jade Goodwin Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Charlotte Barkla is the author of All Bodies Are Good Bodies and From My Head To My Toes, I Say What Goes, both reviewed in StoryLinks. Here she has teamed up with Jade Goodwin,
Jerry’s Window
By Y K Willemse Reviewed by Heidi Gray Jerry’s Window is Yvette’s most recent dive into middle grade fiction after her young adult epic fantasy fiction series The Fledgling Account. Jerry’s Window is a hilarious page turner depicting all the imaginative and
The Space Between
By Jess McGeachin Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jess has won many fancy-pants awards (as he calls them), the latest is winning the 2023 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Deep. His debut picture book was Fly, 2019, and since then he has written
