Lucky’s star : the story of a meteorite
By Mark Greenwood Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Mia Macrossan It's 1969 in the sleepy country town of Murchison when, while Lucky is milking the cows, a meteorite hurls across the sky and lands, making houses shake, windows rattle and spooking the
Rakali of the Riverbank
By Stephanie Owen Reeder & Rachel Gregg Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Stephanie Owen Reeder is the author of over 20 historical and environmental books for children, including Trouble in the Surf. She has won both the CBCA Book of the Year Award
Filling in the Map: Exploring Inland Australia
By Carole Wilkinson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Carole Wilkinson is a prolific author perhaps best known for her Dragonkeeper series but she has an impressive list of non-fiction titles to her name, many concerned with Australian history. Filling in the Map is
Meet the Author: Ashleigh Barton
Ashleigh Barton is a prolific Australian writer for children, whose infectious enthusiasm for reading and creative expression makes her a hit with adults and children alike at schools and festivals. She enjoys inspiring young audiences to value books and to
The Great Dawn Choir
By Sarah Speedie & Cindy Lane Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Each day the Great Dawn Choir greets the morning sun. Together in the growing light, their voices join as one. … Here come the fairy-wrens, from bush to bush they flitter. Then
Hedgehog or Echidna?
Animals who are the same . . . but different! By Ashleigh Barton & Amandine Thomas Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Hedgehog and Echidna stop in their shuffly tracks when they meet each other in the forest, surprised to meet someone who is so similar to
Wind Atlas: Everything you need to know about wind
By Sarah Zambello Illustrated by Susy Zanella Produced in collaboration with the University of Genoa Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This carefully researched and designed book is a companion volume to Wave Atlas: Everything you need to know about waves, by the same creators. Here again
Your Body is Amazing
By Jess Sanders Illustrated by Christine Cuddihy Reviewed by Claire Monsour Dear Reader, there is no such thing as a perfect body. Every body is different and every body has its own strengths. What makes your body amazing is not what it looks
Sid and the very hard to find Squid
Written & illustrated by James O’Hanlon Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Of all the bugs and birds and beasts
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles
By Corey Tutt Illustrated by Ben Williams Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Deadly Science founder Corey Tutt, author of The First Scientists. has here teamed up with Ben Williams to produce a gorgeous and informative book celebrating First Nations knowledge about animals found on
The Thylacine and the Time Machine
By Renée Treml Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Renée has degrees in biology and environmental science, and her passionate love of natural history shines through in this fascinating, information rich, graphic examination of the history and possible future of the Tasmanian tiger or
Don’t Fall For The Trick: A guide to smashing gender stereotypes
Written by Jennifer Bain & illustrated by Scott Stuart Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Jennifer Bain is a graphic designer and author the picture book The New Kid. Scot Stuart is an author and illustrator of a number of books including best sellers,
The Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants
By Suzanne Houghton Reviewed by Sophia Evans Have you ever heard of a meat-eating plant? Or a plant that traps spiders and flies? Let’s be honest, most of us know about of the Venus fly trap and its ability to catch flies,
Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History
By Mellissa-Jane Fogarty & Dylan Finney Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History is the first in a series of illustrated information books about Australian landmarks. This is Melissa-Jane Fogarty’s debut picture book, though she has a substantial
Wombat Poos Are Square
By Sophie Gillies & Karen Erasmus Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Australian animals provide endlessly fascinating material for children to discover, and this book has a surefure topic that will have all the young ones hooked, poo! It's a book describing the different kinds
Our World of Wild Wonders
By Jevita Nilson & Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is a companion to Our World Full of Wonder by the same creators which focused on natural wonders. Here they explore a careful selection of wild animals that inhabit our world.
Every Rock Has a Story: an A to Z of Australian geology
By Kitty van Cuylenburg Illustrated by Cher Hart Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This informative book explores 26 iconic landforms, minerals, fossils or resources all with interesting tales to tell. Each letter has a keyword underneath it to show what type of geological feature
Wave Atlas: Everything you need to know about waves
By Sarah Zambello Illustrated by Susy Zanella Produced in collaboration with the University of Genoa, Sea Study Centre Translated by Emma Mandley Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is something different in information books - not only is Wave Atlas a carefully researched scientific explanation of
The A-Z of Who I Could Be
By Chloe Dalton & Kim Siew Reviewed by Margarite Igras Elite Australian athlete Chloe Dalton is the founder of The [Female] Athlete Project, an online platform for increasing the visibility of women in sport. She discovered that after each four year Olympic
Costa’s Garden
Flowers By Costa Georgiadis Illustrated by Brenna Quinlan Reviewed by Margarite Igras Costa Georgiadis is the well-known host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia. He shares his passion and knowledge of flowers and even reflects on the special floral memory that reminds him of his grandparents.
All the Colours of the Rainbow
By Rae White & Sha'an D'anthes Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Rae White (they/them) is a non-binary transgender writer, educator, poet and zine maker based in Brisbane. Sha'an is based in Sydney and has a passion for creating vibrant and joyful pieces that
The Bee Squad
Boosting biodiversity in your neighbourhood by Judy Friedlander Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Dr Judy Friedlander is the founder of PlantingSeeds Projects, the environmental organisation whose flagship program is the B&B Highway. She is passionate about teaching children and adults how to create conditions
Cheese!
By Felice Arena & Beatrice Cerocchi Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Felice Arena is well known as an actor, speaker, TV presenter and playwright. He has written many award winning books including the Specky Magee series, the historical novels Fearless Frederic, The Boy and the
Family Road Trip Games
A Pocket Book of Activities, Puzzles and Trivia to Play on the Go! By Jack Henseleit Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Normally Henseleit writes narrative fiction that aims to get children hooked on reading such as his middle grade horror series The Withing Hours
Australian Backyard Birds
By Myke Mollard Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Our backyards are the places where children first learn to observe and experience the unique environment that Australia offers. Birds that visit these spaces are many and varied and are an important part of learning
Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants
By Tania McCartney Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This companion volume to Fauna: Australian’s Most Curious Animals is a treasure trove of information stunningly illustrated in precise detail and glorious colour. Australia is well known for having unique plant life, about 90%, 24,000 species,
The History of Information
Written and illustrated by Chris Haughton additional text and research by Loonie Park Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Chris Haughton is a prolific writer and illustrator who work includes A Bit Lost, which won the Dutch Picture Book of the Year, Oh No George!,
Standout Children’s Books of 2024
This year we have reviewed so many wonderful books, too numerous to list here. Browsing through StoryLinks we chose 20+ our reviewers consider outstanding. Many thanks to members of WriteLinks and the Last Tuesday Book Club for their recommendations.
Taronga Big Book of Animals
Illustrations by Amandine Thomas, Simone Fumagalli, Raquel Martin and Blithe Fielden Over 200 fascinating facts for curious kids Reviewed by Mia Macrossan In the note to the reader the Taronga Conservation Society Australia states the facts in this book are based on the
The Five Rules of Friendship
By Jess Sanders Illustrated by César Barceló Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jess Sanders is the author of Life Lessons for Little Ones series which include You Can Do Hard Things and You Know Yourself Best. She has also written Love Your Body and
