The Drought Kangaroo
By Jackie French & Danny Snell Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jackie French's publications take up two whole pages of very small print so I won't try to summarise here. Suffice to say that she was a very much loved Children's Laureate in
A Song for the King
By Katrina Nannestad & Freya Blackwood Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Both Katrina Nannestad and Freya Blackwood have been much awarded for their children's books. Katrina's books include the CBCA-shortlisted We Are Wolves, The Girl Who Brought Mischief, The Travelling Bookshop series, The Girl,
I’m Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book
Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Oliver Jeffers has won many awards for his work including the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Gold Award, the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and the Irish Children's Book of the
Mum’s Busy Work
By Jacinda Ardern & Ruby Jones Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Children's books written by famous people whose field of expertise is something totally different can be interesting and challenging for all sorts of reasons. Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister of New Zealand
Neighbourhood Nest
By Sarah Jane Lightfoot Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian author and illustrator Sarah Jane Lightfoot is known for her informative and visually appealing picture books aimed at 3- to 7-year-olds. Her debut work, Down the Road Little Bee sent the young reader
Fairy Beach
By Sheila Knaggs & Jennifer Falkner Reviewed by Margarite Igras. Sheila Knagg’s inspiration for this story came about one day during the COVID lockdown. She was walking along the beach and heard what she thought was giggling and chatter. It came from
Rosewood Then & Now
By Karen Tyrell & Megan Forward Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is a charming history snapshot of a small Queensland town aimed at primary school readers but can be enjoyed by people of any age. The book is an initiative of the
Countdown to Christmas
Compiled and reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here are some Christmas books published this year to entertain and amuse a young audience. Countdown to Christmas by Evie Garland & Rachel Gyan A sturdy book book in the shape of a Christmas tree, brightly coloured
The Colours of Nature
By Catherine Barr & Chaaya Prabhat Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Our natural world provides many examples of gorgeous, stunning animals and plants that fascinate young readers. A book that celebrates the beauty and diversity around us is a perfect way to engage
World of Colour
By Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jess is a versatile illustrator who has worked with many writers including Claire Saxby (Tree, Whisper on the Wind, Iceberg) to create outstanding picture books, as well as carving out a name for herself as a sole creator (There’s
10 Dogs: A Funny Furry Counting Book
Written & illustrated by Emily Gravett Reviewed by Sandy Driessens 10 DOGS … another cute counting book? No, not at all. For a start, there are also 10 sausages involved which makes this far more fun, but also challenging. '3 dogs with more sausages
Meet the Author: Kirsten Ealand
By Lauren Spencer Kirsten Ealand is a children’s book author from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Working part-time as a library assistant, Kirsten shares her love for books and reading with her community. It’s clear from her two picture
Cynthia is a Wild Dog
By Tohby Riddle Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Tohby Riddle is an author and illustrator whose background spans a range of art styles, from fine acrylics to cartooning. Though he has many picture books to his name, it is hard to view
Powerful Like a Dragon
By Christopher Cheng & Jacquiline Tam Reviewed by Margarite Igras Acclaimed author Christopher Cheng recounts a personal family story of courage and survival seen through the eyes of a child. The child in question was his uncle Shu Lok and the story
Shibu’s Tail
By Tess Thomas and Kamwei Fong Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Shibu’s Tail is a gentle book by US author Tess Thomas and Malaysian artist Kamwei Fong. This is a pleasant addition to the ‘feelings books’ shelves, using a cat’s tail as
You’re Too Little
Written & illustrated by Katie Stewart Reviewed by Sandy Driessens One evening, young Western Pygmy Possum sat in a stump gazing up into the tree far, far above her head, trying to work out the best way to climb up to taste
Kevin in a Stew
By Jacqueline Harvey & Kate Isobel Scott Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Kevin the Sheep is living his dream … To run his own restaurant with a vegetable theme. Choosing Wolfie to cook is a bit of a twist … What will Kevin
Earthspeak: boodjar wangkiny
By Sean McCann Illustrated by Jade Goodwin Reviewed by Margarite Igras Earthspeak is a debut book for Perth Noongar man, Sean McCann. Aimed at 4- to 8-year olds, and celebrating the land of his culture, he invites his reader to come with him
No one is Home
By Mikolaj Pa and Gosia Herba, with Scotia Gilroy (translator) Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Mikolaj Pa is a Polish author and artist who has collaborated several times with illustrator Gosia Herba in a style that some liken to a ‘modern Richard
Mullets
By Nick Sharratt Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Welcome to baby’s first non-fiction information picture book about the cultural phenomenon known as the mullet. As depicted in a diagram on pp 4-5, the mullet hairstyle consists of a “short and choppy” front and
The Inside Dog
By Pip Harry & Carolyn Davis Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Pip Harry is well known in Australia for her work as editor and creator of books for teens and children. Here she has teamed up with debut picture book illustrator Carolyn Davis,
Dogs with Jobs
By Max Hamilton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Max Hamilton is an award winning illustrator of The Beehive, Cockatoo, Neeka and the Missing Key (Wilder Zoo, #1) and more. Here she has written and illustrated a great introduction to the world of the working
Mango and Hopscotch
By Sophie Cunningham & Anil Tortop Reviewed by Margarite Igras Sophie Cunningham is an acclaimed Australian writer, teacher, speaker and advocate who was recognised for her advocacy in the literary community with an Order of Australia. Amongst her many novels, essays and
Crunch! Kaboom! Mighty Mining Machines
By Conor Mills and Clodagh Starr Illustrated by Alison Mutton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan What a wonderful book! Conor Mills, a mining consultant has teamed up with his sister Clodagh Starr to create an exciting, always interesting account of how iron ore is
Rainbow Street
By R W R McDonald & Kelly Canby Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The title is an indication of what is inside - a melange of familial relationships all living harmoniously on the one street and all getting together to celebrate Cherry's grandma's
Tiny Dancer
By Patrick Guest & Mateja Jager Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Tiny Dancer is a heart-capturing picture book written by acclaimed picture book author Patrick Guest and illustrated by the amazing artist Mateja Jager. In the author notes Guest writes how his words for
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t)
By Briony Stewart Reviewed by Margarite Igras Award winning Australian writer and illustrator Briony Stewart has created an amazingly comprehensive story about a subject close to every 5- to eight-year-old child. Every single minute of every single day, a child somewhere loses
The Peach King
By Inga Simpson and Tannya Harricks Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Inga Simpson’s website refers to her as a ‘nature writer’ and she’s best known to readers as a literary novelist. With The Peach King, Simpson turns her skills towards the picture
Dear Broccoli
By Jo Dabrowski & Cate James Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jo Dabrowski started in advertising but quickly realised she preferred writing books, particularly ones where she can see a tiny bit of herself in one of the characters. Her titles include The
Animals on Country
By Victor Steffensen & Sandra Steffensen Reviewed by Barbara Braxton 'For thousands of years, Aboriginal people looked after the land to keep it healthy, so there was plenty of food for the animals to eat. But today, the animals are wondering what has
