Aussie Kids Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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