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
On the Hunt for Santa
By Lesley Gibbes and Stephen Michael King Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray ‘Tis the season for the latest round of holiday picture books to appear. It’s hard for creators to do anything truly fresh in this thematic space, but On the Hunt
How to Make a Snowman (Bunny and Bird, #3)
By Nick Bland Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Nick Bland lives in Darwin where he works full time as an author and illustrator. His books, which include The Very Cranky Bear, The Wrong Book and The Runaway Hug, have been recognised by many different awards, including
Emma Memma: Christmas Lights
By Emma Memma, Oliver Brian & Amy Josephine Wright Reviewed by Margarite Igras Emma Watkins is passionate about integrating Australian sign language in song and dance form to entertain and educate all children regardless of ability. Together with illustrations by hard-of-hearing Amy
The Boab Tree
By Helen Milroy Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region. Her thoughtfully designed and produced books for children combine stunning colourful artwork with simple accessible text which introduce readers to Australian wildlife.
The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet
By Davina Bell & Jennifer Falkner Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This warm hearted book is so much more than a simple alphabet book! It is a detailed loving portrait of a mother and her son as they live, learn, and grow each
Our World: Philippines
By Zewlan Moor & Happy Garaje Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is the latest addition to the Our World series which aims to introduce young readers to the culture and lives of people from other places around the world. Titles inclde Ethiopia,
Walking Together
By Coral Vass & Dub Leffler Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Coral Vass is the author of many popular books for young children including Grandma's Treasured Shoes, Jorn’s Magnificent Imagination, The Kelly Gang Kids and Amanda Commander: The Blues-day Tuesday. Dub Leffler is an illustrator,
Bamboozled
By David Legge Reviewed by Margarite Igras Bamboozled was David Legge’s first picture book and this is the Thirty Years celebration edition, showcasing the sustained popularity of the work and including bonus behind the scenes pages from the author. David has achieved
A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet
By Ali Rutstein & Tommy Doyle Reviewed by Helen Gearing ‘Every family should have a pet. A faithful friend to welcome into your hearts and home.’ Rutstein’s debut picture book with Niña Nill, Ladybirds Do Not Go to Daycare was a CBCA notable
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
