The Backyard Games
By Alister Nicholson and Tom Jellett Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian sports broadcaster Alister Nicholson has covered Summer and Winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, AFL Grand Finals and Test cricket. This wealth of knowledge and love of sport was incorporated in his
Grandma Murphy’s Pussycat
By Maura Finn & Lucinda Gifford Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Maura is a Melbourne based author of several charming picture books including Birdsong by the Billabong and Too Many Cats. Lucinda has a well- deserved reputation for appealing illustrations with numerous picture
Cheese!
By Felice Arena & Beatrice Cerocchi Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Felice Arena is well known as an actor, speaker, TV presenter and playwright. He has written many award winning books including the Specky Magee series, the historical novels Fearless Frederic, The Boy and the
The Hullabaloo about Elephant Poo
By Dee White & Christopher Nielsen Reviewed by Helen Gearing “A poopy pyramid, a massive load – enough to make your nostrils explode. But don’t be alarmed, I promise it’s true, there are treasures to be found in elephant poo.” Award-winning creators Dee White (whose numerous
Kevin Saves the Show
By Jacqueline Harvey & Kate Isobel Scott Reviewed by Margarite Igras Prolific Australian author Jacqueline Harvey is known for her numerous works such as the Willa and Woof, Kensy and Max, Alice-Miranda, and Clementine Rose series. As a teacher she often wrote
Before We Met
By Gabrielle Tozer & Sophie Beer Reviewed by Margarite Igras Gabrielle is an award-winning author, and freelance writer based in New South Wales. She has written YA books including Remind me How This Ends which was on the CBCA 2018 Notable List,
Goodnight, Joeys
By Renee Treml Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Since moving to Australia from the US in 2007 Renee has been inspired by the diversity of our wildlife and has produced an award winning list of titles that range from board books for the
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
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
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,
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
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
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
Say Hello
By Renae Hayward & Rebecca Mills Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This creative team also produced Say Hooray, a joyful celebration of some of the milestones in a baby’s first year. Say Hello is another quality board book with bold bright colours and
Jeff Giraffe The Great Escape
By Amelia McInerney & Alexandra Colombo Reviewed by Margarite Igras Amelia McInerney has written several funny stories for young children, each with endearing characters, engaging storylines and appealing titles, such as The Book Chook (CBCA Notable Book), Who Fed Zed, and
Be True to You!
Written by Maggie Hutchings and illustrated by Hayley Wells Reviewed by Margarite Igras Using her background as a counsellor dealing with children struggling with aspects of their identity, free-spirited mother and grandma Maggie Hutchings has written this positive and uplifting picture book
Where is the Green Sheep
By Mem Fox & Judy Horacek Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Mem Fox has written more than 40 books for children, including the award-winning and much-loved picture books Possum Magic and Where is the Green Sheep? which is celebrating 20 years in print this year
Kevin the Sheep
By Jacqueline Harvey & Kate Isobel Scott Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Shaun, Shauna, Sheryl and Shane are sheep - and are as predictable in their sheepish behaviour as the alliteration of their names. Along with the rest of the flock, they are
Little Horses
By Deborah Kelly & Jenni Goodman Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Out in the bay where sailboats glide, little horses drift and hide…. Living in the calm waters of a bay, in the safety of a coral reef, two little seahorses raise their
All You Can Be
By Angela Casabene & Michelle Conn Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This love letter to children everywhere is Angela's first picture book inspired by her own two daughters. Michelle lives in Victoria and works in both traditional and digital media to illustrate characters
Nice and Slow
By Sarah Ayoub Illustrated by Mimi Purnell Reviewed by Margarite Igras We know how busy life can be and the importance of having time out to reset and spend quality time with the people we love. Well, take note of this family. They have
Our Dragon
By Mem Fox & Linda Davick Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Mem Fox shot to fame with her instant classic Possum Magic way back in 1983. She has worked with many different illustrators such as Judy Horacek for Where is the Green Sheep?
An Odd Dog Christmas
By Rob Biddulph Reviewed by Barbara Braxton It’s Christmas and Odd Dog is running out of time to find the perfect present for her pal… But then she steps into a Christmas arcade which looks very promising until she meets a new
Twice the Love
Written by Inda Ahmad Zahri Illustrated by Nabila Adani Reviewed by Mia Macrossan According to Twins Research Australia multiple birth numbers have remained relatively consistent in Australia over the last ten years with about 4,248 multiple births last year. That's a lot of
Snuggled Away
Written by Cate Storey Illustrated by Sarah Matsuda Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Good night little one, snuggle down tight. The animals are just beginning their night. The night sky is illuminated by the moon and the stars. In the darkness the Australian bush
Wizard & CO.
By Mitchell Toy Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author/illustrator Mitchell Toy is fairly new in the book world but has already published 4 picture books, The Great Australian Bite, The Bounty of Bootless Ben, The Midnight City, and his latest work, Wizard
Under the Moonlight
Written and illustrated by Susannah Crispe Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Susannah Crispe is a Canberra-based children's book author and illustrator, with a background in zoology and a passion for beautifully crafted books. Under the Moonlight is all about overcoming a fear of
Dogs in Disguise
By Peter Bently and John Bond Reviewed by Sarah Custance Perfectly paired in this wonderfully outrageous rhyming picture book, Dogs in Disguise, is author Peter Bently and illustrator John Bond. The book can be neatly described in its opening lines of: “Dogs
Let’s Go! On a Helicopter
By Rosalyn Albert & Natalia Moore Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is the latest in the popular Let's Go! series by the same creators where children explore the world on various modes of transport such as a train, a submarine, a fire
