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
The Invocations
By Krystal Sutherland Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Winner of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature, The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland has it all: strong girls protecting each other; older women listening to younger women; occult magic based in
Robbit the Job-Hopping Frog
By Michael Gerard Bauer & Katrin Dreiling Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian multiple-award winning author Michael Gerard Bauer is well known for his many books aimed at both children and young adults. Titles such as The Running Man (CBCA 2005 Book of
Catch
By Sarah Brill Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Catch opens with Beth walking home one afternoon, minding her own business on a busy sidewalk, when a sudden and intense urge to throw up hits. Instead of bending over, she looks up and a
Feature: Why Children Love Scary Stories – And Why It’s Ok!
By Claire Monsour As parents, carers, and educators, our primary role is to protect the children in our care – so it’s only natural to be concerned or resistant when children show an interest in the scary, the gory, and all
Liam the Chid & the Kangaroo Warriors
Written and illustrated by Meredith Downes Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Liam is an echidna destined for trouble.” Echidnas, known for their docile temperament and tendency to hide from conflict, are not an Australian animal that is usually ‘destined for trouble’. But Liam is
Forbidden Journal of Rufus Rumble: Legend of the Fang
By Nick Long Illustrated by Robin Tatlow-Lord. Reviewed by Lauren Spencer When he isn’t searching for lost cities in the Amazon and filming Netflix documentaries, Nick Long is writing his children’s book, Forbidden Journal of Rufus Rumble. Wait! I probably wasn’t supposed to
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
A Good Kind of Trouble
By Brooke Blurton and Melanie Saward Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Brooke Blurton is the first Indigenous and bisexual woman on The Bachelorette. Her advocacy for First Nations people and the LGBTQ+ community continues, alongside writer, editor and Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman,
My Pet Croc
Written by Dani Vee Illustrations by Jules Faber Reviewed by Sophia Evans If you’re after a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming middle-grade story with a splash of chaos and a lot of mischief, My Pet Croc is the perfect choice for you! Felix is asked by his
You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril
By George Ivanoff Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Colby, aged 9, who writes his own comic books called Millipede Man and Green Rocket. He also loves The Beatles, and is learning the guitar. Thank you Colby for talking to us about You Choose
Heir of Storms
By Lauryn Hamilton Murray Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey At the end of Heir of Storms, the debut YA Romantasy from Scottish author Lauryn Hamilton Murray, one thing was left wanting – what happens next?? Luckily, this moody, intense and captivating story will
Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping
By Craig Silvey Illustrated by Sara Acton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Craig Silvey is rapidly becoming a household name in Australia. Two of his books Honeybee #25 and Jasper Jones #24 were voted amongst the recent Top 100 Books in Radio National's 2025
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
Ariana Treasure: The Perfect Day
by Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern Illustrated by Karen Erasmus Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is the fifth in a popular series featuring Ariana and her family who own a thrift shop called The Treasure Chest. Aunt Grace is getting married tomorrow and Ariana is
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
Harper Wells Renegade Timeline Officer
By Bethany Loveridge Reviewed by Meg Rowe Talented and versatile author/illustrator Bethany Loveridge’s debut middle grade novel Harper Wells Renegade Timeline Officer brings an original and imaginative take to the time travel genre and shines in its ability to bring Australian history
Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories (Special Edition)
By Jeff Kinney Reviewed by Sophia Evans Grab a flashlight, crawl under the covers, and dive into the twisted, unexpectedly hilarious world of Rowley Jefferson’s imagination. Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories is the perfect book for young readers who like a bit
Childish
By Morris Gleitzman Reviewed by Jenny Ruge Morris Gleitzman has for many years been one of Australia’s best-loved authors for children. With 45 books to his credit, he’s never afraid to tackle difficult subjects, with relatable characters often caught in sticky situations
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
Meet the Author: Tim Winton
Mia Macrossan talks to Tim Winton about his new book Ningaloo: Australia's Wild Wonder, reviewed in StoryLinks this week. Thank you for talking to StoryLinks You write with love and knowledge of this beautiful area. How, where when did you first get to
Ningaloo: Australia’s Wild Wonder
Written by Time Winton Illustrated by Cindy Lane Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Tim Winton is an internationally renowned Australian writer and conservationist, having written more than 30 books for adults and children. A four-time winner of the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted twice
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
We Could Be Something
By Will Kostakis Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Every so often a book lights up with extra heart and soul from the author. Usually they’re debuts, but in Will Kostakis’ eighth book his light shines bright. Winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards’
Why You Should Read Children’s Books Even Though You Are So Old And Wise
By Katherine Rundell Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Katherine Rundell is a bestselling author of novels for children and an Oxford academic. Becoming one of these is no mean feat; becoming both and still being under 40 years of age tells you a little
Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish (Spud and Snowball, #1)
Written and illustrated by Judith Rossell Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Judith Rossell has made a name for herself as one of those rare creatures who can both write like a dream and illustrate her writing with quirky charming memorable images. She has
