Aussie Kids Books

Book Reviews

Welcome to my blog! This blog is a celebration of Australian children's fiction - including young adult, middle grade, junior fiction, and picture books.

Read on for my reviews!

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My Extraordinary Mum; by Dani Vee, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

Sandy

Aug 13
2 min

My Extraordinary Mum; by Dani Vee, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

My Extraordinary Mum is a joyful celebration of all the ways in which mums can be free-spirited, creative, kind and adventurous! A young girl shares stories of all the things she and her mum do together - including rescuing stray animals, dancing at the grocery store, and embarking on spontaneous road trips. There are also quiet moments too - to read and rest, to find magic in the every day. The narrative beautifully centres the child's perspective, with the child's voice con

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Arabella's Alphabet, by Suzy Zail & illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Sandy

Aug 7
2 min

Arabella's Alphabet, by Suzy Zail & illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Arabella's Alphabet is a wonderous celebration of books, reading and libraries. As a former children's librarian, this book captured my heart from the opening page, with its cosy depiction of children reading books in the children's section of a library. The story is told from the perspective of Arabella - a well-loved alphabet book who is only borrowed by sticky-fingered children. Arabella longs to be borrowed and adored by adults. She grows sad that her book contains only l

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Sandy

Jul 2
2 min

Hello Every Body! by Samantha Curcio

Hello Every Body! is such a joyous celebration of the way our bodies are all unique, and encourages us to embrace our differences. Because after all - our differences are what make us who we are! When I received this book I wasn't sure initially how my three boys would react to it - the text uses correct terminology and illuminates a diverse range of body parts. I couldn't help but wonder would they be silly while we read the book together? (They are in that phase of loving a

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Sandy

Jun 4
2 min

Stellarphant, by James Foley

In this engaging picture book written and illustrated by James Foley, Stella the elephant refuses to give up on her dream of becoming an astronaut. However - Stella keeps coming up against seemingly impenetrable hurdles at Space Command. She's too big, she doesn't have the right training, she needs a crew... Stella is resourceful and resilient, but the man at Space Command just keeps coming up with more reasons why she can't become an astronaut. Will Stella ever realise her d

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Ghostie, by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Mel Armstrong

Sandy

May 21
2 min

Ghostie, by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Mel Armstrong

Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little? I did for a while - he was a mischievous elf (although I can't remember his name!) In this engaging picturebook, Ava's imaginary friend is the high-spirited Ghostie, who makes an appearance when Ava is bored. Together Ava and Ghostie play hide-and-seek, screech and howl, roll in the mud, and cause general chaos! Things are much more fun when Ghostie is around (strangely, Mum and Dad don't seem to think so though!) Ghostie

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Sandy

May 10
2 min

My Shadow is Purple, by Scott Stuart

I'm always on the lookout for kids books that challenge gender stereotypes and empower kids to embrace their true selves, and this book does so beautifully. The young narrator of this story tells us that mum has a pink shadow and dad has a blue shadow - but their shadow is purple. Their purple shadow likes to play with all sorts of toys, and enjoys both soccer and dance. They don't feel like they have to choose one or the other. But what will happen when the school dance seem

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Get Ready, Mama! by Sharon Giltrow; illustrated by Arielle Li

Sandy

Apr 30
2 min

Get Ready, Mama! by Sharon Giltrow; illustrated by Arielle Li

It's my stop on the book campaign for this humorous and heartwarming picturebook. 'Get Ready, Mama!' When you have young children, it can be really chaotic for parents in the mornings, just trying to get the kids ready and out the door. In this story, the author playfully reverses the parent-child roles, which my kids found delightfully hilarious! Young readers are presented with a fun and lively instructional guide on how to get their parents to rise and shine for the day. W

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Little Wombat's Easter Surprise, by Charles Fuge

Sandy

Apr 14
1 min

Little Wombat's Easter Surprise, by Charles Fuge

Easter eggs are always popular in our household in the leadup to Easter. If you're looking for an Easter read for your littlies with an Aussie vibe, then Little Wombat's Easter Surprise, written and illustrated by Charles Fuge, is just gorgeous. I particularly love Easter books that feature adorable Aussie animals, and this one does just that. Little Wombat is out Easter hunting egg hunting when he sees somebody rushing past; somebody with big ears, bouncy legs and a long bus

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Eric the Awkward Orc, by Alex Dyson, Art by Laura Wood

Sandy

Mar 20
2 min

Eric the Awkward Orc, by Alex Dyson, Art by Laura Wood

I love picture books that celebrate having the courage to be true to yourself, and this picture book written by Alex Dyson does so with humour and heart. While all the other orcs enjoy sharpening their axes and participating in battles, Eric the quiet polite orc enjoys playing musical instruments. When the other orcs make fun of him, Eric sadly decides to give all his instruments away - all except his prized saxophone, which he keeps safely hidden. When a dragon is discovere

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From My Head to my Toes, I Say What Goes, by Charlotte Barkla & Jacqui Lee

Sandy

Feb 15
2 min

From My Head to my Toes, I Say What Goes, by Charlotte Barkla & Jacqui Lee

It's so important that we as parents and carers are able to open up discussion - or answer questions from children - in relation to healthy body boundaries, consent and respect. However - it can be difficult to know how to broach such a conversation in a reassuring and non-threatening way. We want our kids to have the confidence and awareness to know that they are in control of their own bodies - and also for them to understand how to respect other personal boundaries. Books

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Frankie Goes to Kindergarten, by Peta Baxter & Connie Hemmens; illustrated by Marjory Gardner

Sandy

Feb 15
2 min

Frankie Goes to Kindergarten, by Peta Baxter & Connie Hemmens; illustrated by Marjory Gardner

This book arrived in our household at the perfect time, as Mr 5 started kindy this year! While he was excited to join his brothers at 'big school,' he was also a little nervous. I love that books like this can be read with children to help initiate conversation around what to expect when they go to school. In this book, we follow the adventures of Frankie the Kindergarten dog, as she plays with her friends, learns, reads, sings and dances! A young audience will be captivated

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Little Mister Gets a Sister, by Samaria Rose Lemke & Ruth-Mary Smith

Sandy

Dec 30, 2021
2 min

Little Mister Gets a Sister, by Samaria Rose Lemke & Ruth-Mary Smith

Siblings are most often the people we end up being closest to - but the relationship can sometimes start out a little rocky! Little Mister Gets a Sister explores this relationship in a fun and heart-warming way. When Little Mister meets his new baby sister he is less than enthralled. Everyone else seems to think that everything she does is so adorable - but all she seems to do is dribble and drool and make a mess with her food. No fun at all really! Big brother secretly plots

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Jingle Bells, by Jacinta Froud, illustrated by Gabriella Petruso

Sandy

Dec 16, 2021
1 min

Jingle Bells, by Jacinta Froud, illustrated by Gabriella Petruso

Jingle Bells has become a firm favourite in our household, with Christmas rapidly approaching. Eddie the high-spirited corgi has a penchant for chewing on or eating pretty much everything in sight...so what happens when he gets the family Christmas tree in his sights? Strap yourselves in for a rollicking romp as Eddie causes Christmas Eve chaos! This fun and fast-paced picture book is full of such humour and heart. The playful flowing rhymes are truly a joy to read aloud - I

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Two Houses, by Frieda Parks; illustrated by Mithini Wathsala

Sandy

Nov 15, 2021
1 min

Two Houses, by Frieda Parks; illustrated by Mithini Wathsala

I love to support indie authors and today I'm giving a shout-out to Frieda Parks, Aussie author of the gorgeous picture book Two Houses. This book celebrates the diversity of families, shining a light on the reality that no two families are the same. The young narrator of this book has two homes, sometimes she stays with her mum and sometimes she stays with her dad. And there are times when she doesn't want to have to move between houses, but her mum reassures her that the m

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Mary had a Monstersaur; written by Mike Dumbleton, illustrated by Peter Bath

Sandy

Oct 25, 2021
2 min

Mary had a Monstersaur; written by Mike Dumbleton, illustrated by Peter Bath

I love this gorgeously 'scary' version of the well known children's rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb. In this version of the story, it's not a cute little lamb that follows Mary to school, but rather a big Monstersaur that's climbed out of a hole behind the shed in Mary's backyard! Young readers will love to predict what kind of chaos a Monstersaur might cause at school. What follows is a joyous romp as Monster sits on top of the school bus and crushes climbing frames. Mr 4 giggl

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Sandy

Oct 19, 2021
2 min

Lucy and Copper, by Mandy Foot

This beautifully heartfelt story celebrates the special bond between children and animals, and tells a story of learning to adjust to change. Lucy is devoted to her beloved pony Smudge, but is now too big to ride him. When her father brings a new horse called Copper home to the farm, Lucy doesn't feel ready to let Copper into her heart. Her loyalty is firmly with her childhood pet - but will she find room in her heart for Copper too? The narrative gently unfolds, as Lucy refl

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The Curiosities, written by Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Phil Lesnie

Sandy

Oct 11, 2021
2 min

The Curiosities, written by Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Phil Lesnie

This picture book is a work of art, from the lyrical text, to the stunning and evocative illustrations. I love a multi-layered picture book that can be read on many different levels - and this is definitely one of those books. It embraces and celebrates both the rich imagination of the young child, as well as diversity and differences. We follow the story of a boy named Miro, who comes to realise that he sees and experiences the world differently to others around him. Surrou

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The Australian Climate Change Book, Written by Polly Marsden, illustrated by Chris Nixon

Sandy

Oct 9, 2021
2 min

The Australian Climate Change Book, Written by Polly Marsden, illustrated by Chris Nixon

Do you have kids who might be anxious or curious about climate change? Or are you looking for a book that helps explain climate change in an accessible way? Then this new book , which aims to inform and reassure kids about climate change, is the perfect choice. Today's kids are hyper aware of global issues thanks in part to their access to social media - particularly in relation to their environment. While this is to be applauded, it can also mean that our kids are more anxio

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Australian Backyard Birdies, by Andy Geppert

Sandy

Oct 8, 2021
2 min

Australian Backyard Birdies, by Andy Geppert

Fun, quirky, memorable, entertaining, colourful - these are all words the kids and I came up with to describe Australian Background Birdies by Andy Geppert. This is a field guide to Australian backyard birds with a difference. Facts about each of the featured birds in the book are combined with lots of humour. For example, did you know that budgies poop every twenty minutes? And that when chickens say 'bok bok bok' it means I love you? No - I didn't know that either. This fun

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Where’s My Dinosaur? by Ashling Kwok; illustrated by Jasmine Berry

Sandy

Oct 4, 2021
2 min

Where’s My Dinosaur? by Ashling Kwok; illustrated by Jasmine Berry

This engaging new picture book is captivating from the very first page, when our young narrator tells us that ‘there’s something growing in Mummy’s tummy,’ someone who daddy explains will be her new playmate! Throughout the narrative, the young girl speculates who – or what – her new playmate might be. She is desperately hoping for a dinosaur – but mum’s tummy looks too small for a dinosaur to fit – so perhaps it will be a chicken or a rabbit? As mum’s tummy grows bigger, the

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