Left and Right By Lorna Hendry, Wild Dog, 2017. ‘Do you know your left from your right? Which hand do you write with? Does your left and right eye see the same thing? What side of the road do cars drive on and why? Here is everything you need to know about left and right!’ Left and Right is an innovative book by Australian author, Lorna Hendry. This is an interactive book that invites the reader to get involved by taking action and practicing what they’re reading. I did it myself when I read it! It works really well at helping you learn left from right by providing practical exercises and tools that you can employ to commit left and right to memory. It also assists with being observant and mindful of yourself and others. I could imagine children taking more notice of what they are doing and how, such as kicking a ball (which foot), brushing their teeth (which hand). Who knew that the eye I wink with is the same as the hand I write with but is different to the ear I listen with? These are things I hadn’t thought about before. Left and Right is scattered…

A Walk In The Bush By Gwyn Perkins, Affirm Press, 2017. A Walk In The Bush will take you and your child on a journey through the Australian bush. Grandad can’t find Iggy. He looks everywhere for him. When he finally finds him, he takes him on a journey into the Australian bush looking for wildlife. Together we meet many different native birds and learn their bird calls, and bump into the odd wallaby. There are also caterpillar messages on trees! This whole book is truly like the experience of walking through the Australian bush. Awards Winner: The Picture Book of the Year, Children’s Book Council of Australia, 2018.

Florette By Anna Walker, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018. Nature loving Mae moves with her family from her beloved home and garden to a big crowded city. This story gives us a reflective look at the difference between city and country living. Mae is nostalgic about her former home and sad about moving to the city because of all the buildings and concrete and lack of nature, until one day she finds Florette, a forest (garden store) in the heart of the city. Mae plucks a tiny shoot from the sidewalk outside Florette, takes it home and plants it…and this is the beginning of her very own garden. Mae continues to make her part of the grey city green and beautiful, just like her old garden. Her life becomes brighter, and the new plants allow her to accept the changes that she has had to endure by moving house. This book may show your child how they too can find a creative solution to improve their own environment. Anne Walker’s illustrations are stylised and soft, drawing the reader into the intricacies of Mae’s life and her perspective on it. There are loads of items of interest on every page…

Mopoke. By Philip Bunting, Scholastic, 2017. ‘This is a Mopoke. Mopoke loves peace and quiet. He is about to find out that you can’t always get what you want.’ Mopokes love the peace and quiet, but this little mopoke doesn’t really get much of that! Mopoke. is such a funny little story that even adults will enjoy it. Philip Bunting tells a tale with pictures and minimal text, but this book is definitely visually quirky with a hysterical tale to tell. Using as few words as possible, this author-illustrator has enjoyed a play on the word mopoke, and poked all manner of things! This book should become a classic. NB: A mopoke is a southern Australian boobook owl. It is Australia’s smallest and most common owl species. Awards Honours for The Picture Book of the Year 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia. Shortlisted for: Crichton Award for New Illustrators 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia. Longlisted for: Kate Greenaway Medal 2018. Indie Book Awards. Best Designed Children’s Illustrated Book 2018 by Australian Book Design Awards. Picture Book of the Year 2018 by Australian Book Industry Awards. Finalist for: Best Children’s Books 2017 by The Guardian. 

The Great Rabbit Chase By Freya Blackwood, Scholastic Australia, 2017. ‘A story that celebrates what it means to live in a community and a reminder that life is full of surprises.’ Are you looking for a rabbit book for your kids? The Great Rabbit Chase tells the story of Gumboots, a much-loved rabbit who is an escape artist. An adventure ensues one day when Gumboots escapes from the yard. The whole neighbourhood becomes involved in the search for Gumboots. The story is told from the little girl’s perspective, and we never do find out what her name is. The Great Rabbit Chase is beautifully illustrated in soft watercolour and pencil. The endpapers include an innovative board game that will add to the experience your child will have with this lovely book. Awards Honours for The Picture Book of the Year 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Rodney Loses It! By Michael Gerard Bauer and Chrissie Krebs, Scholastic Australia, 2017. ‘Rodney was a rabbit who loved nothing more than drawing. He never found it tiresome, tedious or boring. But then one day, disaster struck! The one thing Rodney feared, while working at his drawing desk his pen just… DISAPPEARED! ‘ Rodney Loses It! is by far and away one of my favourite reads in a long time. I LOVE THIS BOOK! Rodney loves to draw. He draws all day and all night. However, Rodney finds himself in all sorts of trouble when his favorite pen, Penny, goes missing. Follow Rodney’s journey as he searches high and low for Penny. I also love it when the illustrations show the reader something that the character in the story doesn’t know. Your child will know more than Rodney during this story, which is something that will delight children. A very clever read with a funny surprise ending! Download some teacher’s notes. View some literacy activities. Awards The Book of the Year: Early Childhood 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Wolf Espionage By Elanor Parkinson and Dave Atze, Redgum Book Club, 2015. ‘Wold Espionage is a rollicking story of an undercover wolf named Wiliam whose ill-fated approach to espionage leads him to vegetarianism.’ Reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote, Wolf Espionage tells the tale of a wolf called William that lived on Wellwood Farm. William was so hungry that he decided to go undercover and try and find some tucker! He dresses up as different animals he finds on the farm and tries to befriend them, but they all whack him and poke him, because they know he isn’t really one of them. Wolf Espionage follows a days-of-the-week format where William the Wolf approaches different animals on different days of the week. William discovers that if he disguises himself as an apple or a peapod, then he doesn’t get whacked or poked, and he discovers that it is easier to become vegetarian than try to eat the animals. Wolf Espionage is quite a delightful little story, and it was written by a young 12-year-old girl! Awards Winner: 2016 Young Writers’ Award Picture Book category The Young Writers Award is open to young authors aged between 9 and 13 years. Young writers have…

All I Want for Christmas is Rain By Cori Brooke and Megan Forward, New Frontier Publishing, 2016. ‘For our Drought-affected Australian farmers, their children and families. Thank you for feeding Australia.’ – CB ‘For our farmers: we need you.’ – MF Jane lives on a farm, and her parent’s farm hasn’t seen rain for a long time. She wishes and hopes for rain and hatches a plan to ask ‘the great bearded man’ for help. Will her wish be granted? All I Want for Christmas is Rain portrays a real issue facing many Australian farmers and all Australians from time to time. Follow Jane on her quest to as Santa for help. If you’re looking for Australian kids books, then look no further than this little gem! It teaches our children about real issues that are being experienced by Australian farmers in different parts of the country at different times. Awards Shortlisted for The Book of the Year: Early Childhood 2017 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

The Snow Wombat By Susannah Chambers and Mark Jackson, Allen & Unwin, 2016. ‘Snow on the stockman’s hut. Snow on the crows. Snow on the woollybutt. Snow on my…NOSE!’ Everywhere The Snow Wombat travels there is snow Snow SNOW! Wamble with the snow wombat as he discovers many things as he journeys towards his home. He passes the robin, the gums, the riverbank. He passes skiers and the possum’s tail until he reaches his burrow. You can also trace the wombat’s journey by following his path on the endpapers at the front and end of the book. I love how some books are now utilising the endpapers for added interest. Another book that has done this really well is The Great Rabbit Chase. The endpapers in that book form an actual board game! This is a really beautiful bedtime story, and at the end of the book, the wombat goes to… Awards Shortlisted for The Book of the Year: Early Childhood 2017 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

One Photo By Ross Watkins and Liz Anelli, Penguin Books Australia, 2016. “A poignant story about love, loss and legacy; one son, one family, one photo.” This is not your usual glossy covered picture book. It has a matte-finish cover and has a retro storybook feel. In the story we see Dad taking photos of the strangest things, using a newly purchased old-fashioned camera with old-fashioned film that he has to take to the old store in the city to be developed. But Dad doesn’t photograph his family, rather he photographs the everyday items that form his world. He photographs the things he didn’t want to forget. The son and the mother are upset that he doesn’t photograph them. They don’t understand. One Photo follows the journey of one family who is struggling to come to terms with the father’s Alzheimer’s disease. This is such a beautiful story. It is helpful for dealing with loss, and shows a loving, hopeful side. The illustrations are textured, colourful, and plentiful, and offer a visual feast for the inquisitive mind. Awards Shortlisted for The Picture Book of the Year 2017 by Children’s Book Council of Australia. One Photo Book Trailer