Riveted Press, Australia 2026
Cover art Tamlyn Teow
The Prime Minister Problem is a book of considerable charm. Its main character Wren is a gentle lad, never feeling like he belongs, not ‘in’ with the popular kids and often teased or left out at school.
Penguin Random House, Australia 2025
Cover design Kristy Lund-White
Cover illustrations Frederica Frenna
Black cat illustrations Kristina Kister
What an excellent book this is – and not only for children, but also for adult readers. Its themes are weighty – power and politics, family ties, death and love. But, of course, there is also book magic at work here.
Lothian Hachette, Australia, 2025
Design by Hazel Lim
This gentle book speaks not only about grappling with of cross-cultural identity but of the importance of love, family and a sense of belonging for all people.
UQP, Australia, 2025
Cover design Tamlyn Teow and Madeline Byrne UQP
Cover illustration Tamlyn Teow
Sandy Bigna’s exquisite allegory is a sensitive study of grief. The narrative voice is 11 year old Bones, the story laid out in free verse format.
National Library of Australia Publishing, Australia, 2023
Designer Hugh Ford
Cover and internal illustrations Liz Duthie
What a wonderful way for children to learn history this book is! All the heroes and heroines are children, some quite young, who are exemplars of bravery, care for family, perseverance in the face of difficulties and danger, cooperativeness and imaginative, innovative thinking. They also demonstrate practical life skills that see them through the worst of times.
CSIRO Publishing, Australia, 2023
We were walking around the Australian National Botanic Gardens recently and came across a Wollemi, described as a dinosaur, not because of its appearance but because of its age. The legend panel beside the tree spoke of its chance discovery by David Noble and this is indeed the springboard for Samantha Tidy’s text in Wollemi.
Continue Reading“Samantha Tidy and Rachel Gyan: Wollemi – Saving a Dinosaur Tree “
Wilkinson Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia, 2024
Design Alicia Freile, Tango Media
Illustrations and information section designed by Nandina Vines
The natural world conflict of Spider Wars, a picture book by Gina Newton and Nandina Vines is a story of territorial dispute between the Wolf Spiders and the Peacock Spiders. The author and illustrator also tell a kind of Romeo and Juliet tale of star-crossed lovers.
Affirm Press, Australia, 2024
Cover design and internal Stephanie Spartels @ Affirm Press
Cover illustrations Jorge Garcia Redondo
The question of how early one should teach ethics to children and in what form is at the heart of this book. Maura Pierlot posits a convincing argument with this work for its early introduction.
The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation has announced Sally Rippin as the 8th Australian Children’s Laureate for 2024 and 2025.
Self-published, Australia, 2023
Designed by Ozan Tortop tadaabook.com
Jacinta Froud takes us on wild ride as Finn engages book seller Mr Persnickety in the search for a perfect book for friend Ginny.
Storytorch Press, Australia 2023
Cover design by Flo + Ebb Design
Starberries and Kee is a middle grade fiction described by its publisher as solarpunk. Solarpunk is subgenre of what used to be called science fiction, works speculating on how the future might look if humanity succeeds in solving major challenges like climate change and pollution.
Windy Hollow Books, Australia, 2023
Samantha Tidy’s textual story and Susannah Crispe’s visual story come together perfectly in Cloudspotting (Windy Hollow Books, Australia, 2023). This is a gentle tale of a father and daughter who, while the rest of the family still sleeps, go out crabbing in their boat in the dark chill of early morning.
Continue Reading“Samantha Tidy (words) and Susannah Crispe (pictures) – Cloudspotting”
Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette, Australia, 2023
Unusually and despite their different target audiences, I am writing about both of these books by Jane Godwin at once. Jane Godwin’s writing is characterised by her gentle but astute understanding and observation of young people and their concerns.
Organised by Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival
Up to two entries per person
Closing date 20 February 2023
Entries are invited from children everywhere, to age 16. There are no limits on where the young writer lives.
Continue Reading“Free entry for children’s short story competition”
Lothian Children’s Books/Hachette, Australia, 2022
Design Kinart
Jennifer Cossins’ beautifully illustrated book contains facts and figures about animals and their migratory habits that will be a revelation to adult readers (let alone children). She has chosen both well and lesser known creatures for this informative work, and does not confine herself to the furred and feathered.
Continue Reading“Jennifer Cossins – Amazing Animal Journeys“