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By Rory H Mather & Matt Shanks

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Rory writes very accessible picture books for young children such as Otto’s INK-redible First Day of School and Vlad’s Bad Breath. Here he has teamed up with the talented Matt Shanks, creator ofWhen the Mountain Wakesand collaborator with others on My Sister, the Todzilla, and Rosie the Rhinoceros  and more,  to create a charming and heartwarming picture book exploring all the many different places people call home in Australia.

It begins with ordinary familiar places such as a suburb, in the country, the bush, but alternates with the slightly more unusual home on a boat or on the road in a van. I was touched by the child who has two places to call home because his parents aren’t together and also the refugee child who is from somewhere not safe and hoping to call here home someday. The conclusion, written inside a big map of Australia, ends on an optimistic note Home is where the heart is, and no matter where you roam, you are always welcome here. There’s no place quite like home.

Home is a rich concept that rewards going deeper, for example, You are always welcome here isn’t true for a lot of people and what about people who don’t have a home? Each double spread provides plenty to explore  with a simple four line verse and detailed illustrations. By simple here I mean carefully chosen language that is appropriate for and accessibe to young children. The brightly coloured illustrations always show a child close up with the scene varying in perspective and mood. The front endpapers show a little brown bird leaving its nest. It subsequently appears on each spread flying past, looking around, paying attention before returning to its mate in the nest on the back endpapers – a lovely story within a story.

Teachers will find lots of ways to use this book and parents and children at home will also enjoy it.

Scholastic Australia July 2026

Rory M Mather

Matt Shanks