Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Isabel Thomas, with artist Daniel Egnéus, take young children on a journey back to the beginning of time and it all begins with a frog. Frog: A Story of Life on Earth is a lovely 250 x 250 mm hard cover colourful book for young audiences, and I think it makes
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke As the name of the book and author might suggest the illustrations in this hard covered children’s picture book have an Asian focus. The story it contains is a reimagining of an ancient Chinese folk tale about integrity, courage and patience. To choose his heir the ageing emperor, who has no
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This hard covered children’s picture book is presented by two celebrated picture book creators. Margaret Wild is a recipient of the Nan Chauncy Award and Lady Cutler Award for her contribution to Australian literature. For this book she is ably assisted by internationally renowned award-winning author and illustrator, Stephen Michael King.
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This early children’s book by author and illustrator, Heidi McKinnon, is a hardcovered ten-and-a-half-inch book with a large orange dog face on the cover. The reader is first introduced to SHMOOF and all his antics. Then they meet FLOOF who is a grey cat. As most people know some cats and
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This hard covered children’s book is a tale in Tangrams. For those who are unaware of the term, an explanation is provided at the beginning of the book where it says, ‘the pictures in this book are all made from the same seven shapes, which form a puzzle called a tangram.’
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This book by Molly Potter and illustrator Sarah Jennings belongs to the Let’s Talk series of books helping adults start big conversations with little people. The author believes that talking to kids for 5-minutes-a-day about feelings is as important for their wellbeing as eating vegetables or cleaning their teeth. Molly Potter
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt is a hard-paged square children’s book by Martha Mumford and illustrated by Laura Hughes. There is much about this book that would engage young readers. The illustrations are colourful and humorous as they depict the adventures of four bunnies in their search to find
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This hard covered 290 x 230 mm 44-page book has been created by Eleri Harris, award winning cartoonist, journalist, editor and feminist and history tour guide. Her non-fictional comics have found their way across the world. Created as a children’s book, it highlights issues such as inclusivity, equality and accessibility. To
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Earth Speak is the first book by Sean McCann who lives on Noongar lands in Perth. He is a small business owner, a rope access technician and a rigger. This book is illustrated by Gamilaroi woman, Jade Goodwin. With her commitment to showcasing a range of perspectives through her illustrations, she
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke In children’s picture books like this, often the pictures take centre stage with the text stating what the illustrations show. I don’t believe that is the situation in Sofie Laguna’s publication, The Last Egg. The water-coloured illustrations by Jess Racklyeft are beautifully presented and support the story rather than dominate it.
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke As the cover suggests this story is about sailing, but it is not just about that. It is also about family history and the tensions between two families who have been in a particular area for generations. With the main characters pre-teens, this story is also about friendships and jealousies. Nell,
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The author of this children’s book is Jacqueline Anne French AM, known professionally as Jackie French. She is an Australian author who has written across several genres for both adults and children. Her most notable works, among the 200 she has written, include Rain Stones, Diary of a Wombat, The Girl
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Once again well-known celebrity Anh Do and illustrator, Anton Emdin, have combined to produce another book in the series Smarty Pup. For those who do not know this series, Lily’s dog JJ had once had purple space goop plopped on him and since then he had become a talking genius, so
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This book is another beautifully presented hard-covered children’s book about Dreaming stories. Presented by First Nations’ people, these books share the stories and knowledge passed down from generations to generations. The information in this particular book is presented by Uncle Bud Marshall who shares information of the land around Nambucca Heads.
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This beautiful hard-covered children’s book is by debut author Sharara Attai. She believes that the racial and cultural diversity within her own children and their cousins is a good reflection of modern-day Australia. Through the brief text on each page and illustrations including people from diverse backgrounds, she shares the message