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
Wish in a Tree
By Lynda Mullaly Hunt & Nancy Carpenter Reviewed by Mia Macrossan In 2015 Lynda wrote Fish in a Tree, a middle grade novel about how even if you struggle in school, you can still be quite smart and that intelligence is measured
How Big is the Sky?
By Kimberley Brown Reviewed by Margarite Igras Kimberly Brown has used her skills as an illustrator to craft her first picture book about the various instruments we use to measure the world around us. It is a fascinating yet complex introduction to
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
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!
By Pamela Allen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Pamela Allen is in her 90th year and still creating marvellous picture books. Since her first publication in 1980, her picture books have enchanted generations of children around the world, and have garnered a glittering array
Alexander’s Outing
By Pamela Allen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Since her first publication in 1980, New Zealander Pamela Allen's picture books have enchanted generations of children around the world, and have garnered a glittering array of awards and commendations including six Children’s Book Council
The Bin Monster
By Annabelle Hale Reviewed by Margarite Igras Annabelle Hale has written and illustrated a fun picture book about a well-known Australian topic that we all have experienced. Those pesky birds that that raid our bins, spreading rubbish and food scraps everywhere. This
Meet the Author: Sandhya Parappukkaran
By Lauren Spender Sandhya is a children's author who believes owning one's cultural identity cultivates happy, holistic people. She lives in Brisbane and works as a library assistant in a public library. She says her experience there has given her great
The Last Egg
By Sophie Laguna & Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray The Last Egg, by Sophie Laguna and Jess Racklyeft, is a beautifully crafted picture book that explores themes of love, loyalty, and resilience. When Mother Bird and Father Bird discover a
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
The Giant
By Sophie Masson & Lorena Carrington Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray The Giant is a new release from Sophie Masson and Lorena Carrington, who previously collaborated on the exquisite Satin (2023). Both creators have a deep knowledge of fairy stories and folk
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 Susurrus
By Genevieve Young Evans & Cate James Reviewed by Margarite Igras Genevieve Young-Evans has written a playful story with a strange title that is sure to attract the interest of the younger four- to six-year-old reader. What is this strange thing called
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
The Enchantment of Golden Eagle
By Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Margaret Wild and Stephen Michael King need little introduction to fans of Australian picture books. Each has an extensive oeuvre of award-winning titles and is revered by readers and fellow
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
Shmoof
By Heidi McKinnon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Heidi has collaborated with many writers to create memorable picture books as well as writing and illustrating her own. She is the master of restrained simple storytelling, combining an economy of style and colour with
One Word and a Bird
By Stephen Michael King Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray One Word and a Bird is the newest picture book from celebrated author/illustrator Stephen Michael King. It showcases the power of words, both in the sense of their impact on a page, and
Book of Hours
By Clare McFadden Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Book of Hours is a contemplative meditation on the quiet beauty of everyday life. It is marketed as a picture book for ages 3+, but will strongly resonate with adult readers as it moves
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
The Frog’s First Song
By Jazz Money & Jason Phu Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray The Frog’s First Song is a visually arresting and thematically joyful picture book that celebrates connection. Written by award-winning Wiradjuri poet Jazz Money and illustrated by three-time Archibald Prize finalist Jason
Little One
By Jane Godwin & Gabriel Evans Reviewed by Claire Monsour “Ed has a teddy, Lola has a blanket, Penny has her Elly… But Little One is mine” There are plenty of picture books where a child loses a treasured toy, and is then
A Loo of One’s Own
A Mostly True Tale of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians Written and Illustrated by Eleri Harris Reviewed by Zewlan Moor What a treat to read this book! A Loo of One’s Own is the debut picture book of award-winning cartoonist, Eleri Harris, whose second book,
