The Dream Bird
Written by Aleesah Darlison Illustrated by Emma Middleton Reviewed by Sandy Driessens George is a little boy who plays all day but at night, struggles to go to sleep. Though the other members of his family make helpful suggestions, it is Gran
The Best Medicine
Written by Christine Hamill Reviewed by Lyn Halliday In her first book for children, Christine Hamill demonstrates her exceptional skill at handling delicate subject matter in the most hilarious way — one that will appeal to any middle-grade audience. The Best Medicine won
Talk Under Water
Written by Kathryn Lomer Reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Kathryn Lomer’s third young adult novel, Talk Under Water is a stunning coming-of-age story with a unique twist. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania, the story is told in dual narratives of Will Lane
Rainbow Pups!
Written and illustrated by Sophie Beer Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Rainbow Pups! is a board book aimed at infants and toddlers learning their colours. It features attractive digital illustrations of how three puppies meet and play together, accompanied by colour strip
The Boundless Sublime
Written by Lili Wilkinson Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla One part heart-breaking, one part intriguing and one part horrifying, this compelling tale demonstrates how a rational person could be indoctrinated into a violent cult and willingly deprived of their basic human rights. When
The Belles
Written by Dhonielle Clayton Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins In the fantasy world of Orléans people are born with grey skin and red eyes, so the Belles are highly prized, not for the good looks they inherited from the Goddess of Beauty, but
The Hole
Written by Kerry Brown, Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson If you were walking through the woods and a hole you came upon, would you stop and take a look? Or simply carry on? One by one, several animals come upon a strange black
Cloud Conductor
Written by Kelly Byrnes Illustrated by Anne-Marie Finn Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Debut children’s author, Kellie Byrnes, and well-published illustrator, Ann-Marie Finn, have come together to deliver the delightful and thought-provoking story of Frankie, a sometimes bed-ridden child, who sees possibilities in
The Vampire Knife #1 The Witching Hours
Written by Jack Henseleit Illustrated by Ryan Andrews Reviewed by Sandy Driessens WARNING: DO NOT look for fairies. You will not find them. And if you do. YOU WILL REGRET IT. With a warning like this on the cover, this thrilling novel has
Marvellous Mummy
Written by Katie Poli Illustrated by Giuseppe Poli Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Marvellous Mummy is a simple, sweet picture book for early childhood. The rhythm is established on the first page. First a statement and then evocative words that children will enjoy
Once Upon an ABC
Written by Sophie Masson Illustrated by Chris Nielsen Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Sophie Masson is a prolific writer who has written many books for children, many of which have been shortlisted or received awards. Illustrator, Christopher Nielsen, is a relative newcomer by
Baby Band
Written by Diane Jackson Hill Illustrated by Giuseppe Poli Reviewed by Lucy McGinley When I picked this up my first thought was that I’d read it before. There have been a few books written about the noises babies make and how this
Is It The Way You Giggle?
Written by Nicola Connelly Illustrated by Annie White Reviewed by Luise Manning Soft water colours make this 32-page picture book an adorable read. The end papers made me think of a birthday party but as the story unfolds it implies that we
The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls
by Adam Cece illustrated by Andrew Weldon reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Adam Cece, winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, has written a humorous and wacky junior fiction book. The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls follows the trio
Stephanie Chiocci and the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Chase
written by Matt Porter reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton This is the first book in the Footy Stars series and features AFLW Stephanie Chiocci, who captains and plays for the Collingwood women’s team. It is great to see a female sporting hero children
Bravelands#1 Broken Pride
written by Erin Hunter reviewed by Lucy McGinley Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster as you are immersed into the world of wild animals. Bravelands: Broken Pride, will have you crouching in the savannah grasses like a lion cub, pounding your
See Hear: There’s Magic All Around You. What Can You See? What Can You Hear?
written by Tania McCartney illustrated by Jess Racklyeft reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri This colourful picture book is a playful catalogue of the senses of sight and hearing. It is delivered in the format of a book flipped halfway, as SEE starts at the
Lessons of a LAC
written by Lynn Jenkins illustrated by Kirrili Lonergan Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri This picture book is aimed at addressing the problem of anxiety and worry. We are introduced to Loppy, a peculiar-looking creature with stringy limbs and exaggerated eyes and lips. He lives
Where Does A Giraffe Go To Bed?
written and illustrated by Craig MacLean reviewed by Leslee Anne Hewson This picture book is the second book written and illustrated by Craig MacLean and published by Angus & Robertson. It is the bedtime book sequel to his debut book, What Noise Comes
The Legends series
by Michael Panckridge reviewed by Lucy McGinley You can tell Michael Panckridge, the author of The Legend Series, enjoys sport. He has packed these books with action, sporting challenges and quizzes galore. Right from the start, when you flick past the updated
My Sister
written and illustrated by Joanna Young reviewed by Sandy Driessens This beautifully illustrated picture book draws you into a gentle world of sisterly affection from the moment you touch the textured cover. Little red hearts on the cover and end papers prepare
Pugs Don’t Wear Pyjamas
by Michelle Worthington illustrated by Cecilia Johansson reviewed by Sandy Driessens With a front cover that indicates that pugs DO wear pyjamas, this book looks like it has a sense of humour. Tom likes staying with his Aunt Roz and looks forward to meeting
Brotherband #7 The Caldera
by John Flanagan reviewed by Maria Parenti-Baldey Brotherband, The Caldera, 7, starts with the annual Maktig contest. Stig’s father, Olaf, arrives to ask Hal and his Heron brotherband fighters to save a 14-year-old emperor kidnapped by the pirate Myrgos. The action, tension
Bush and Beyond: Stories from Country
by Tjalaminu Mia, Jessica Lister, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Jaylon Tucker illustrated by Tracey Gibbs reviewed by Danielle Freeland This is the collaborative work of the four indigenous authors and forms part of the Waarda series of Indigenous stories. The four stories within the book give a
Wait! (Books That Drive Kids Crazy, Book 4)
by Beck Stanton illustrated by Matt Stanton reviewed by Renee Hills Wait! is the fourth in a series of picture books by Beck and Matt Stanton that are billed as Books That Drive Kids Crazy! Other titles include This is a Ball, Did
Held in Love
by Dawn Casey illustrated by Oamul Lu reviewed by Lucy McGinley This illustrated blessing, Held in Love, is the perfect gift for new parents. The author and illustrator will charm you with their peaceful book about unconditional love. Held in Love would be just
The Bear in our Backyard
by Emma Middleton illustrated by Briony Stewart Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Spoiler alert. The Bear in our Backyard is a companion picture book to last year’s popular The Lion in our Living Room. Whereas the lion was an imaginative version of their father,
Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch
by Sally Murphy illustrated by Celeste Hulme reviewed by Danielle Freeland Literary Launch is the fifth book in the Sage Cookson series by Sally Murphy. The daughter of television chefs, ten-year-old, Sage, shares her parents’ passion for travel and love of food. When
Looking Up
By Sally Murphy Illustrated by Aśka Superska Reviewed by Lyn Halliday As an author of over 40 children’s books, Sally Murphy demonstrates just why she is so successful in this heart-warming story about a boy’s quest to understand and heal a broken relationship. At
Dungzilla
by James Foley reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Two scientist/engineering girls accidentally resize a dung beetle so their whole town is threatened by a massive dung ball – who wouldn’t want to read it? Especially told comic book style through the attractive illustrations
