Aussie Kids Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am a firm believer that picture books are not just for preschoolers, and can in fact be read and enjoyed, and utilised as a learning tool, by kids of all ages - right through to high school and beyond! I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me is one such example of a picture book that can be read and enjoyed on many levels, with different layers of understanding and complexity. Mr 9 picked this one as a Storybox read as part of his home learning. He really enjoys drawing, so the idea of

How many times have you rolled your eyes and groaned when your dad comes out with yet another dad joke? Yeah – I’m with you – there are just too many times to count! If you’ve been subjected to more than your fair share of very uncool dad jokes, then you are going to LOVE this new picture book by Adrian Beck, which illuminates the reality that no one is immune to dad jokes – not even the animal world! When Oliver’s dad starts telling corny jokes at the zoo, Oliver just wants

This picture book is really a work of art, from the front cover through to the final endpapers, and is really as much for adults as it is for children. I was completely enchanted by the melancholic darkness of the illustrations, and felt quite a visceral response in relation to some of the darker themes this book touches on - including regeneration, destruction of our planet and wildlife, loss and grief. We follow the story of a polar bear cub who is lost in the snow and look

This beautiful picture book is the perfect reading choice as we remember and commemorate the sacrifices made in war, on Anzac Day here in Australia. This book is inspired by the story of Sister Marie Eileen Craig, who was one of a group of nurses who flew to the frontline in Papua New Guinea during WWII to rescue injured soldiers. They are known as the Flying Angels. The story gives us an insight into both the horrors of war, and the compassion of the nurses who bravely went

Thank you to Hachette and Tandem Collective Global for gifting the boys and I a copy of this amazing book as part of the Hachette Kids Australia/NZ Readalong! We absolutely adored this one. Here are the reasons why we loved this book: *For its messages about sustainability and caring for our environment and finding friendship in unlikely places. *For the curious and empathetic protagonist Fern, who enjoys reading and who isn't afraid to venture out of the confines of her gre

The boys and I were very lucky to be gifted a copy of this fun and heart-warming book as part of the Hachette Kids Readalong. A family of birds finds a lonesome egg and take it home with them. They are surprised and thrilled when a bright green crocodile pops out of the egg one day! The bird family unquestioningly welcome Croccy to their family, despite him looking and behaving differently to the way they do. The other animals constantly question why the bird family keep Cro

The boys and I were very excited to be joining in a readalong of quality picture books, hosted by Hachette Kids Australia/New Zealand and Tandem Collective Global. Thank you to Hachette for our gifted copies of these picture books. Day 1 of the readalong showcased the beautiful Dugong Magic. The cover itself is stunning, with sparkly silver font and soft shades of blue. We loved this book for its environmental message, the lyricism of the writing, the warm depiction of love b

The Easter bunny delivered this fun and colourful picture book to our household much to the delight of my kids - they love Easter-themed books. The animals in this book are taking part in an Easter hat parade, and everyone is wondering - who will win first prize? Make sure to examine the end-papers of this book with your kids before you start reading - the broken Easter eggs and banana skins littered on the ground provide a hint as to what might happen in the story! Strap you

I really love this unique and beautifully crafted picture book – particularly for its strong and innovative protagonist Claire, who yearns to make an impact on the world and change things for the better. But at times Clare feels overwhelmed by all the online information and news stories she is able to access on a daily basis. Will she find a way to advocate for change in a way that both empowers her and enables her to become more integrated into her community? Claire is a pro

This is one of those beautifully heart-warming picture books where the words and the illustrations work together in perfect harmony, the images enhancing and building upon the gentle whimsical flow of the narrative. We get a strong sense of Mo from the very first page - both from the depiction of the solitary figure in his enclosed landscape and the simple line of text: "Mo lived alone and he liked it that way." Into his secluded world comes Crow - quietly persistent as he ta

There is much humour and heart in this gorgeous story of a little burlesque dancing peach named Dita, whose dream is to dance on the stage. Dita practises regularly and loves to perform in front of her loved ones at home. But when she gets the opportunity to audition for a world renowned dancer, will Dita mange to wow the famous Ms Von Teese at her audition? This beautifully written and illustrated picture book delivers the important messages of being true to yourself, and ha

This book has become a huge favourite in our household and is chosen regularly by Mr 4 as his bedtime read. We love this book for its humour, relatable content, and colourful expressive illustrations. Let’s face it – what parent hasn’t had to deal with the various stages a hungry child moves through as we negotiate with them what we are going to eat for dinner? My kids regularly ask the question, ‘What’s for dinner?’ as they walk into the kitchen (sometimes just after lunch t

Not only does this picture book have perfect summer vibes, with its beach setting and bright sun-drenched illustrations, but it also celebrates teamwork and kindness. William and Rose are ready for a day at the beach, keen to make some new friends and watch them play. Along the way, they find themselves engaged in helping out their new friends when they run into obstacles. Young readers will delight in seeing how William manages to help out three crabs stranded on a boat out