Thimble
by Rebecca Young illustrated by Tull Suwannakit reviewed by Sandy Driessens Attracted by the delightful, gentle illustration on the cover, then tracing my finger over the embossed lettering of “Thimble” with running stitch not quite lining up, I knew this book was going
Moonwalkers
by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Terry Denton reviewed by Kerry Neary Fifty years ago the world was held spellbound by grainy images of a man stepping from a ladder onto the surface of our nearest neighbour in space. A thrill of anticipation reverberated around
Ask an Illustrator: Caroline Magerl
Caroline Magerl in conversation with Mia Macrossan Caroline Magerl was born in Germany but now lives in Buderim, Queensland. She is an illustrator who has worked for years drawing for educational publishers, newspapers and magazines. She came to the notice of the
Rodney
by Kelly Canby reviewed by Kerry Neary Younger children will be entranced by the visual treat of colour pattern and white separation in this story of a small tortoise with his head figuratively in the treetops. How Rodney would love to join
Ron the Royal Guard
Written by Deano Yipadee Illustrated by Paul Beavis Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Have you ever thought about being one of those Royal Guards at Buckingham Palace? Ron the Royal Guard alternates between marching and standing at attention. He is also the object of
One Tree
Written by Christopher Cheng Illustrated by Bruce Whatley Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri One Tree is a tender narrative about the changes through generations, seen from the eyes of a little boy. Although he has been told that his grandfather was once a
Holly the Honeybee Dancing Star
Written by Gordon Winch Illustrated by Stephen Pym Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Holly the Honeybee Dancing Star, a picture book which highlights a particularly clever trait of the honeybee is the third from duo Gordon Winch and Stephen Pym, who both have
The International Space Station
Written by Clive Gifford Illustrated by Dan Schlitzkus Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson This interesting work deals with the structure and workings of, and living conditions aboard, the International Space Station (ISS). With detailed, stylised illustrations complemented by simple, easy to understand fact boxes, a
Where’s Lucky?
Written by Jacqui Halpin Illustrated by Sandra Severgnini Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson Based on a true story, this is a beautifully illustrated, colourful and informative picture book highlighting both the tragedy of orphaned wildlife due to road kill and also the cost to,
Dragons in Picture Books
Our latest reading list is all about dragons - the fierce, the bold, the beautiful and also the hungry, the accident-prone, the sleepy, and the short-tempered. Here is a delightful introduction to the world of dragons for the very young
The Bug Collector
Written and illustrated by Alex G Griffiths Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Sunday is George’s favourite day of the week, because that’s the day he goes on adventures with his Grandad. On this particular Sunday, Grandad introduces George to the wonderful world of
Squish Rabbit’s Pet
by Katherine Battersby reviewed by Mia Macrossan This story starts at the endpapers as all good picture books should with Squish Rabbit peeking out from behind a large egg. The opening sentence defines the scope of this story with an impressive statement:
Mummy Cuddle
by Kate Mayes Illustrated by Sara Acton reviewed by Kerry Neary Cute may be as cute may look but there’s more to this delightful creation than shallow, sweet appeal. It’s a companion to Daddy cuddle by the same partnership, released in hardcover in
The Bear in our Backyard
by Emma Middleton illustrated by Briony Stewart reviewed by Kerry Neary Still fresh and joyful even after being around for about a year, this is a companion book to The lion in our living room, which starred the same sibling pair looking for
Squish Rabbit’s Pet
by Katherine Battersby reviewed by Kerry Neary You can’t take the cute out of books for early childhood readers. Where would iconic characters like Miffy and Spot be if they weren’t cute, as well as having their magical adventures. One of own
A Quiet Girl
by Peter Carnavas reviewed by Yvonne Mes Mary’s quiet conversations and ponderings are drowned out by the noise of tools, technology and toys used by her busy mother, brother and father. Mary is mostly content to be by herself surrounded by the
Under The Southern Cross
by Frane Lessac Reviewed by Kerry Neary This is a solo offering from the illustrating side of the partnership of Frane Lessac and Mark Greenwood, who create fascinating picture book interpretations of Australian folklore figures: Simpson and his donkey, Ned Kelly, Midnight
The Sleeping Beauty: The Story Orchestra
Retold by Katy Flint Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle Reviewed by Kerry Neary Music is as much a way of telling stories as producing beautiful melodies. When the beauty of music is represented through visual images and words we have some of the most
Eva’s Imagination
Written by Wenda Shurety Illustrated by Karen Erasmus Reviewed by Kerry Neary When children start at school, along with all the physical things they need, they must pack their imagination. In this story, Eva’s Mum makes sure it is there. It starts with pet
The Second Sky
Written by Patrick Guest Illustrated by Jonathan Bentley Reviewed by Kerry Neary This gem of a book slipped through my net when it was published in 2017 and shortlisted for the Picture book of the Year. I don’t know how I missed it
Ozzie Goes To School
Written by Jocelyn Crabb Illustrated by Danny Snell Reviewed by Kerry Neary Experts say that children should be made school-ready to lessen the anxiety of starting at school. This probably takes all their preschool lives, not just a few weeks beforehand or one
Hodge Podge Lodge ( A rubbish story)
Written and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Hodge Podge Lodge is the story of the higgledy-piggledy Pigwigs, a family of pigs. They all have a negative relationship to stuff in some way. Pa Pigwig is a compulsive online shopper.
BumbleBunnies: The Pond (BumbleBunnies, Book 1)
Written and illustrated by Graeme Base Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri BumbleBunnies is a series of picture books by Graeme Base. I was surprised when I received the first of these books – ‘The Pond’ – to review, as it was so
The ANZAC Billy
written by Claire Saxby illustrated by Mark Jackson and Heather Potter reviewed by Kerry Neary One way to take very young readers into wartime is to tell a story about what children did in those times. This story follows a young boy as
Lest We Forget
written by Kerry Brown illustrated by Isobel Knowles and Benjamin Portas reviewed by Kerry Neary This is not a book about ANZAC Day or any other memorial day, for that matter. Rather, it is designed to give early readers some insight into the
Archie and the Bear
Written by Zanni Louise Illustrated by David Mackintosh Reviewed by Sue Wright One of my favourite children’s books is Where’s My Teddy by Jez Alborough (1992). Archie and the Bear (2017) by Zanni Louise and David Mackintosh has a delightful small boy-meets-bear moment
It’s Not Scribble To Me*
Written by Kate Ritchie Illustrated by Jedda Robaard Reviewed by Kerry Neary Written in vibrant, bouncing verse, the story follows a little bear who has just entered the crayon phase of its life. Most likely, it has been inspired as a mother watches
Noah Noasaurus
Written by Elaine Kiely Kearns Illustrated by Colin Jack Reviewed by Yvonne Mes Ah, we can’t wait to hear our child’s first word, then we delight in every new word until they get to … ‘No’. Unfortunately, children love the power of ‘no’ and
Dinosaur Day Out*
Written and illustrated by Sara Acton Reviewed by Kerry Neary When the children in this story go walking through the park, they collect dinosaurs! Dinosaur day out, whimsically written and illustrated by Sara Acton, is a book on the Notables early childhood
Collecting Sunshine*
Written by Rachel Flynn Illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie Reviewed by Kerry Neary By and large, picture storybooks for children are joyful and uplifting. What could sound more joyful than Collecting sunshine. That’s the title of a book written by Rachel Flynn and illustrated
