The Glad Not Sad Book
By Kim Michelle Toft Reviewed by Margarite Igras Multi-award-winning Australian author and illustrator Kim Michelle Toft has written several picture books showcasing the beauty and importance of Nature and its role in our lives. Her books stand out with their luminous detailed
What Noise Does the Baby Make?
By Jacinta Froud & Cat MacInnes Reviewed by Mia Macrossan If a pig goes OINK and a goat goes MAA what noise does the sheep make? Turn the page to a big double page spread and see a flock of sheep all
Purinina
By Christina Booth Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Christina Booth is the award-winning author of eight, and illustrator of over twenty books for children, including Are These Hen's Eggs?, the CBCA Honour Book Kip and Welcome Home, which won The Environment Award for
Fabulous Frogs
By Katrina Germein & Suzanne Houghton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Katrina Germein has many picture books to her credit including Little Book Baby, One Little Duck, and Before You Were Born. Suzanne Houghton is also an experienced picture book creator whose work
Dung Beetle On a Roll
By Sandra Severgnini Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Okay, so I'm a dung beetle. What is dung you ask? Well, it's the best thing ever! It's another word for poo -
Fairy Beach
By Sheila Knaggs & Jennifer Falkner Reviewed by Sandy Driessens For when the sun blows you its last kiss goodbye, and the moon wanders in to watch over the sky … then the enchantment begins. What happens after you’ve had a wonderful day
Afloat
By Kirli Saunders & Freya Blackwood Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Here is a book, “to spin wisdom, to grow … to form bonds, to make ties …to thrive.” By means of following a changing waterway and the ancient practice of weaving, Kirli Saunders
Life Lessons for Little Ones: You Know Yourself Best
A little one's guide to trusting their instincts By Jess Sanders & Fotini Tikkou Reviewed by Claire Monsour “Dear Reader, you are the expert of you. You know when something feels good and right, and you know when something feels wrong. What you feel
Dragon Folding
By Christopher Cheng and Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Dragon Folding is a quiet picture book about community support and intergenerational learning. It sees both Christopher Cheng and Lucia Masciullo, who last worked together on The Imagineer (2022), playing to
Apples not Orples
By R A Stephens & Carmen Dougherty Reviewed by Mia Macrossan R A Stephens runs publishing house Wombat Books and Rhiza Edge, and is the author of the Riz Chester series. Apples Not Orples is described as a rule-breaking counting book. It starts
But Then
The almost true story of an overdue book By Swapna Haddow & Daron Parton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Swapna has written many books for children including the award winning Dave Pigeon and Bad Panda. Her stories are full of humour and invention. Daron
Suddenly One
By Sam Mac & Deb Hudson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sam 'Sam Mac' McMillan is a TV/radio host, author and entertainer. This is his first picture book. Deb Hudson has illustrated many children's picture books including Zola and the Christmas Lights, The
The Kelly Gang Kids
By Coral Vass & Deb Hudson Reviewed by Barbara Braxton School's out and four rambunctious boys chase each other through the streets of Avenel. a tiny town in Central Victoria, causing havoc as they run through clotheslines, accidentally let Peterson's sheep out of their
How to Draw A Dragon
By Kate Talbot Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Kate Talbot is an Australian-born, New Zealand-based children's picture book illustrator who enjoys creating quirky characters and vibrant illustrations. How to Draw a Dragon is Talbot’s debut picture book as an author and illustrator. This hilarious
Dot! Scribble! Go!
By Hervé Tullet Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Hervé is well known for his innovative interactive picture books for very young children. They include Press Here, Mix it Up! and Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance! Here is another gem to add to
Shadow Play
By Kate Forsyth & Rosalie Street Reviewed by Meg Rowe Renowned Australian author Kate Forsyth’s award-winning books span adult fiction, non-fiction, essays, poetry, and children’s writing, including the recently published Long Lost Fairy Tales, illustrated by Lorena Carrington (2024). Forsyth’s latest picture
Walls
By Tania Ingram & Ruth-Mary Smith Reviewed by Shan O'Shea A small book with a big message, this story is about building walls to feel safe, and then discovering that communication is better than isolation. When a knight and a Viking each believe
Words That Taste Like Home
By Sandhya Parappukkaran & Michelle Pereira Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira are both award-winning creators. Together, they have produced the picture books, The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (Notable book, winner of the 2022 CBCA Book of
The Best Present Ever
By Zoë Foster Blake & Lucinda Gifford Reviewed by Mia Macrossan All children adore presents and here is a catalogue of imagined perfect gifts - ranging from magical creatures to candy-filled swimming pools. Obviously money, time, space, local government guidelines and bylaws
I am Tree Rex
By Mo Davey Reviewed by Mia Macrossan A strong environmental theme gently delivered is at the core of Mo Davey’s debut picture book about a tree hugging dinosaur. Rex, a little green dinosaur, lives in a forest with his 21 trees which he
Bernie Thinks in Boxes
By Jess Horn & Zoe Bennett Reviewed by Meg Rowe Jess Horn’s debut picture book Bernie Thinks in Boxes is a quiet celebration of one little girl’s unique way of navigating the world around her. It is a delightfully fresh and inventive
Stickboy
By Rebecca Young & Matt Ottley Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Stickboy is a unique and mature picture book from the collaborative team behind 2018’s much lauded Teacup. In a similar vein to that story, a lone figure holds the future in
The Glass Horse of Venice
By Arnold Zable & Anita Lester Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The book was inspired by a chance meeting in Venice and speaks to one of Arnold’s core beliefs, that in the face of dislocation and change, children have a need for a
Lights Out, Little Dragon
By Debra Tidball & Rae Tan Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is the award-winning Australian author Debra Tidball’s second interactive story for younger children. In The CBCA Notable Book 2018, The Scared Book, the author asks the reader and listener to blow
When Dinosaurs Roamed Australia
By Sarah Jane Lightfoot Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is Sarah's second book, the first being Down the Road Little Bee, 2021, a bee's search for pollen across the Australian suburban landscape. The title of When Dinosaurs Roamed Australia speaks for itself,
Let’s Try Again Another Day
By Charlotte Barkla & Jade Goodwin Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Charlotte Barkla is the author of All Bodies Are Good Bodies and From My Head To My Toes, I Say What Goes, both reviewed in StoryLinks. Here she has teamed up with Jade Goodwin,
The Space Between
By Jess McGeachin Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jess has won many fancy-pants awards (as he calls them), the latest is winning the 2023 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Deep. His debut picture book was Fly, 2019, and since then he has written
Digger Digs Down
By Johanna Bell & Huni Melissa Bolliger Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Johanna Bell works in poetry, picture books, podcasts, audio installations and community arts. Her books include Hope is the Thing which won 2024 CBCA Book of the Year, Award for New
Ingenious Insects
By Sarah Allen Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian author and illustrator Sarah Allen shares her love of the amazing fauna and flora found on the Australian continent in this ingenious children's picture book. Her first book, Busy Beaks was shortlisted for the
Rock Dogs
By Sally Barns & Anil Tortop Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Looking for a book that Rocks? Well, this is the one. In a small, sleepy town thrashed a ROCK’N’ROLL BAND and on lead guitar was a dachshund named Dan. With Barry, the bulldog
