Starting School – Picture books
By Mia Macrossan Starting school for the first time or starting a new school year is such an enormous step. That first day is a cocktail of excitement anticipation, fear, anxiety and joy that has inspired many writers. Here is a
Saturday, Sunday
Busy Day, Fun Day By Natalie Kate Forbes & Danny Snell Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Natalie has had many different jobs in her life and is now starting out as a published author. It is a complement to her work that she has
Brave In Every Which Way
By Maddy Mara & Lauren Degraaf Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Maddy Mara is the pen name of creative duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger who have collaborated for neary 20 years. Laure Degraaf uses pencil, watercolour and pencil crayon to achieve her
A New Day
By Emmaline Carroll Southwell & Heather Dryden Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This book aims to guide young readers when they are feeling challenged by whatever is happening or about to happen in their day. Emmaline, a television personality, says that A New
Karma is Three Cats: Life According to Taylor Swift’s Kitty Best Friends
By Bella Montgomery & Carolina Marando Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Aimed firmly at cat lovers and Swifties this is a celebration of everything feline. Taylor Swift's three pampered pets Meredith Greyk, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button accompany her everywhere. According to them
Cubby Hunting
By Coral Vass & Nicky Johnston Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Coral has written many picture books including Walking Together, The Kelly Gang Kids and the Amanda Commander series. Nicky has illustrated many picture books, collaborating with a number of writers to produce
Grandma Murphy’s Pussycat
By Maura Finn & Lucinda Gifford Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Maura is a Melbourne based author of several charming picture books including Birdsong by the Billabong and Too Many Cats. Lucinda has a well- deserved reputation for appealing illustrations with numerous picture
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
House
By Dan Giovannoni & Charlotte Lane Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray ‘Sometimes it feels like all you need is a little shelter from the storm…’ This is the story of a lonely little house who has no one to open its front
Cozy Christmas
By Coco Wyo Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Coco Wyo is a group of artists and colorists who share a simple goal: to inspire emotional expression through colors by creating a variety of coloring books that inform, comfort, and connect people everywhere. As
The Hullabaloo about Elephant Poo
By Dee White & Christopher Nielsen Reviewed by Helen Gearing “A poopy pyramid, a massive load – enough to make your nostrils explode. But don’t be alarmed, I promise it’s true, there are treasures to be found in elephant poo.” Award-winning creators Dee White (whose numerous
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.
Kevin Saves the Show
By Jacqueline Harvey & Kate Isobel Scott Reviewed by Margarite Igras Prolific Australian author Jacqueline Harvey is known for her numerous works such as the Willa and Woof, Kensy and Max, Alice-Miranda, and Clementine Rose series. As a teacher she often wrote
Before We Met
By Gabrielle Tozer & Sophie Beer Reviewed by Margarite Igras Gabrielle is an award-winning author, and freelance writer based in New South Wales. She has written YA books including Remind me How This Ends which was on the CBCA 2018 Notable List,
The Other Side of the Clouds
By Matt Samuel & Tamlyn Teow Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is Matt’s debut Children’s picture book. After two decades in advertising and a former career as a primary school teacher, he decided to try his hand at writing a picture book, drawing
Tilly in a Tangle
By Magrete Lamond & Monty Lee Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Magrete Lamond is a multi-award-winning author and children’s book publisher. Lamond’s picture book, Paper-flower Girl, was shortlisted in the 2024 Children’s Book Council of Australia awards and was awarded Honour Book in
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
Ethel the Penguin
By Ursula Dubosarsky Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen Reviewed by Meg Rowe You are in safe hands with acclaimed Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky - with over sixty books published for children and young adults, including best-sellers, The Terrible Plop, Brindabella and Too Many
Waiting for Santa
By Lucy Cochran & Heidi McKinnon Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Waiting for Santa is the debut picture book for Australian author Lucy Cochran, teamed up with author-illustrator Heidi McKinnon, whose previous works include the 2023 award winning Floof and 2022 CBCA
Tiny Tradies: Aussie Word Book
By Tami Sussman & Tom Jellett Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is a companion to Tiny Tradies 2023, which celebrates the working lives of very young people as they go about their busy days. The Tiny Tradies Aussie Word Book is a
The Christmas Star
Written and illustrated by Michelle Conn Reviewed by Margarite Igras Michelle is an award-winning Australian author and illustrator having won both the 2024 CBCA Shortlisted for New Illustrator and the 2024 CBCA Notable for Picture Book of the Year for her beautiful
The Welcome Cookies
By Kaye Baillie & Kirrili Lonergan Reviewed by Margarite Igras Award winning children’s author Kaye Baillie is known in Australia and internationally for both her fiction and non-fiction works. Titles such as When the Waterhole Dries Up, Mizuto and the Wind, Cockatoo,
Are We There Yet?
A Journey Around Australia By Alison Lester Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Alison Lester has long been one of Australia's national treasures with an impressive list of award winning children's books to her name. Her first book that she wrote and illustrated herself, Clive
Cockatoo
By Kaye Baillie and Max Hamilton Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Cockatoo is a captivating nature story from Australian creators Kaye Baillie and Max Hamilton. Detailed, realistic illustrations support lively word play in a celebration of the early months of life for
Sunny Finds His Song
By Cate Storey & Penny Watson, illustrated by Sarah Matsuda. Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Sunny Finds His Song is the third picture book by Cate Storey and Sarah Matsuda. After covering nocturnal Australian animals in Snuggled Away https://storylinks.booklinks.org.au/2022/10/02/snuggled-away/ and the Greater Glider
Nobody Likes Monday
By Kelly Lee & Amy Calautti Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian author, librarian and teacher Kelly Lee is known for some of her more unusual picture book topics for the younger reader. She has written a series called Little Economists, with titles
The Mosaic
By Deborah Kelly & Nicky Johnston Reviewed by Margarite Igras This book was inspired by the award-winning author’s personal experience of separation from her husband and the ensuing conversations she had with her children. It is a fresh and positive perspective of
Meerkat Mayhem
By Mem Fox and Judy Horacek Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Meerkat Mayhem is the latest from longtime collaborators Mem Fox and Judy Horacek. It is in the tradition of ‘chain tales’, like The Gigantic Turnip, which has appeared in myriad
Why I Love Christmas
By Michael Wagner & Tom Jellett Reviewed by Meg Rowe From the CBCA Honor Award winning team that brought us Dirt by Sea, Michael Wagner and Tom Jellett, join forces again with Why I Love Christmas, a fun, festive picture book, that
