Early Childhood

Honour Book 2024

Bear and Duck are best friends, but they are very different. Duck likes to try new things, and Bear ... well, Bear likes not to. When Duck needs a friend for her dance class, Bear reluctantly agrees. Bear’s big size causes problems at first, but he soon discovers that he might just be a very good dancer. Bear and Duck is a story about friendship, confidence, and overcoming the fear of trying new things.
Age 3+

So … can a fish climb a tree? Can a horse drive a car? Can a baby bake a cake? And if they can’t, what wonderful things can they do? A quirky and inspiring book about celebrating who YOU are and the power and peace to be found in not trying to be anyone else.
Age 3+

WINNER Book of the Year 2024: Early Childhood

Gymnastica Fantastica! is a joyful and exuberant picture book about a child discovering and attempting new physical skills and putting on wonderfully imperfect shows for whoever will watch them. Join Gymnastica, a small person with big energy, as they bend and balance, bounce and roll, attempt a cartwheel and a spectacular trapeze flip-out finale. Written in playful rhyming text and with brightly energetic and appealing illustrations.

One little duck went out one day, over the hills and far away. Mother Duck said ...'Moo Moo Moo Moo,' and Cow said, 'Wait! Now I'm coming too.' Oh no, Mother Duck has forgotten how to quack! Every day, she tries a new barnyard call, and every night Little Duck returns with a new farm friend. A fun twist on the song 'Five Little Ducks'.
Age 0 to 2

Honour Book 2024

Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Mr Milligan' s beloved goat dies, everything changes. Will Grace be able to help her friend overcome his sadness? Grace and Mr Milligan is a heart-warming story of grief, love and the healing power of friendship.
Age 3 to 5

After a cold, dark winter, doors opened. Children spilled out like sweets from a box. Amanda was last one out of the tower block. She brought some chalk with her. On every inch of the concrete outside, the children drew pictures of everything they could think of, from flowers and snails, to spaceships and queens. Before long, a beautiful and exotic garden spread out across the concrete. A charming, and gently post-pandemic story about finding optimism after a dark spell, and the nurturing power of community friendships in an urban setting.
Age 3 to 7

WINNER Book of the Year 2023: Early Childhood

High in the mountains through the sleepy clouds.
Deep in the forest past the chiming birds.
Will we see the lyrebird? I don't know. Tip-toe, tip-toe.
The beauty of the Australian rainforest and the magic of family-time come together in this lyrical and delightful story of intergenerational connection, habitat and adventure.

When Lionel the daschund arrives Maverick the golden retriever is unimpressed.Is there enough love to go around for the two of them? A heart-warming story that celebrates inclusion and friendship.

Honour Book 2023

Bev is tall and Kev is small.
An unlikely pair! Could this be the beginning of a very big friendship?
A heart-warming tale about learning to love yourself and the value of a true friend.

When a girl is given a coin to spend at the market, she thinks carefully about what to buy. She is tempted by the towering stacks of fruit, spinning rides and glass jars filled with sweets. But it isn't until a stranger gives something to her, without expecting anything in return, that she knows exactly what to do with her coin. A story brimming with joy, generosity and magic from two of Australia's beloved picture book creators. Carrie Gallasch's beautiful text evokes the warmth and community of the market, while Hannah Sommerville brings this glorious world to life with rich colour and texture.

Honour Book 2023

Tap, tap tap ...
Frog thinks there's no one else in the forest, but you never know what's just around the corner ...
Anna Walker invites us to hear with our eyes as we follow frog on a rollicking escapade in this pitch-perfect pre-school soundscape.

"Oh, let's do it!" say Kitty and Katy and Mum when a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle mysteriously arrives in the post. "I have time on my hands," agrees Dad. Starting in winter with the edges, by autumn they're almost done, only to discover that one piece is missing. Mum is sure that it must have accidentally gone out with the rubbish, so the Kellys pile into the car to comb through the local tip ("shouldn't take long"). There they uncover forgotten letters, train tickets, discarded newspapers, and old photos yellow with age, but finding the missing piece is starting to seem like wishful thinking. "Let's wish, then," says Katy.

WINNER Book of the Year 2022: Early Childhood

While Milla's friends take big, brave jumps off the jetty, Milla stays on the blistering wood, scared of what lurks below. But when Milla accidentally falls off the edge, she discovers the beauty of the deep, dark sea - and her summer changes forever.
Audience: Preschool

Two very different cats: Winston, a free-spirited explorer; and The Indoor Cat, lover of leisure; form a friendship and show each other how different their lives could be. Can The Indoor Cat be enticed by outdoor adventure? Will Winston be tempted by a life of indoor luxury?
Audience: Preschool

Honour Book 2022

One day Amira, a young refugee, finds a seed that is growing inside a suitcase. It has sprouted in a tiny amount of soil, which has gathered in a corner. She tends to the sprout. When Amira’s new friends, Nala and Tien, learn about the plant, they each gift her with a seed, which she plants beside the seedling.
Audience: Ages 4 to 8

It's bath time in the outback, and a dusty boy is waiting, but so are some very dusty and very cheeky animals. Will this boy ever get clean? A rollicking tale about togetherness and fun!
Audience: Ages 3 to 6

Honour Book 2022

When all of the whales in the ocean leave their home to walk around on land, people don't quite know what to think. But soon shopkeepers go out of business, farms are flooded with water and salt, and people shout horrible, anti-whale words. That is, until, a smart little girl decides to ask the whales what everyone can do to help.
Audience: Preschool

In every country around the world are grandmas short and tall. Though they go by different names, we love them one and all.
Audience: Preschool

Scribble Kids' Books, 2020

Honour Book 2021

Audience: Ages 4 to 7

A funny tale of mishap, misunderstanding, and the search for true friendship in an ocean rockpool. All Anemone wants is a friend, but friends are hard to make when you accidentally sting everyone who comes near you. Perhaps Clownfish has a solution to the problem...

Affirm Press, 2020

Audience: Early childhood

Spend a day with Australia's most vibrant and unique feathered friends. Full of splashing shorebirds, clattering cockatoos, parading penguins and greedy galahs, Busy Beaks is the perfect introduction to birds of all shapes and sizes.

Sydney Lothian Children's Books, 2020

WINNER Book of the Year 2021: Early Childhood

Audience: Ages 3+

There was a child, The sweetest ever, Until she learned these words: 'NO! NEVER!' Georgie is a sweet little girl who always makes her parents happy... until she discovers one powerful phrase: No! Never! It suddenly becomes her answer to every request, from tidying up her toys to going to bed. Her parents are at their wits end, but what happens when they decide to try saying No! Never! themselves? A lovely, lively look at the Terrible Twos (or Threes, or Fours, or Fives...)

Trafalgar Square Books, 2020

Audience: Ages 3 to 6

Bear can't sleep. Did you hear that? Did you feel that? What was it? It wasn't a hungry giant or a blood-sucking spider or a fire-breathing dragon because there is NO SUCH THING… Is there?

Melbourne, Vic. : Puffin Books, 2020

Honour Book 2021

Audience: Preschool

Magoo has his own ideas about what a dog should do - in the kitchen, in the car, at dinnertime and bedtime! But there are so many rules! So many things a dog can't do. But wait! Magoo, THIS is for you... Silly dogoo, we do love you!

Video of story being read available from Story Box Library
Scribble Kids' Books, 2020

Audience: Preschool

"Elvi, which one is your mum?" "They're both my mums." "But which one's your real mum?" When Nicholas wants to know which of Elvi's two mums is her real mum, she gives him lots of clues. Her real mum is a circus performer, and a pirate, and she even teaches spiders the art of web. But Nicholas still can't work it out! Luckily, Elvi knows just how to explain it to her friend...

Ebook available from Axis360
Allen & Unwin, 2019

WINNER Book of the Year 2020 : Early Childhood

Audience: Ages 3 to 5

This book is about a friendship between an exuberant but loveable dachshund and his more retiring, tidy housemate.

Allen & Unwin, 2019

Honour Book 2020

Audience: Ages 3 to 6

If you can't have a puppy, maybe the next best thing is to be a puppy.
'Can I please, please, please have a dog?' asked Billy. 'Would you walk it every day and wash it if it got dirty?' 'I would, I promise!' said Billy. Billy wants a dog. He really really really wants one. Billy's parents aren't so sure. So one morning, Billy takes matters into his own paws.

Ebook available from Axis360
Allen & Unwin, 2019

Honour Book 2020

Audience: For preschool age

"This is the last time I'll fish in this river. This is the last time I'll run through these trees. This is the last time I'll dream by this fire... Goodbye, old house. Goodbye." A heartwarming story of letting go and starting anew, of moving from the country to the city, with a unique illustration style that allows room and space for the reader's imagination.

Video of story being read available from Story Box Library
Scholastic Australia, 2019

Audience: Ages 3 to 8

When Turtle races into the lift of Building 24, there is a nod and a blink and a step to the side. A grunt and a sigh and a lean to the right. But what happens when the lift stops moving? Crocodile has a meeting to get to. And Giraffe has a doctors appointment. And Turtle really, really needs to get to the shop.

Ebook available from Axis360
Allen & Unwin, 2019

Audience: Ages 2+

A stylish and satisfying picture book about a curious pet rabbit who accidentally escapes the safety of her backyard, and then must survive in the wilds of suburbia at night.

Australia Lothian Children's Books, 2019

Audience: Ages 3 to 5

Meek the possum and her sisters three are happy living in the sprawling paperbark tree - until the day Squabbles the bat moves in. A story about sharing and making friends. Meek lives with her three sisters, a gaggle of birds, lizards and other creatures next to a tumbledown terrace house. Everyone shares the space, and life is pretty sweet until the day a rude and messy fruit bat named Squabbles moves in - and demands everyone else move OUT. Will Meek be able to get rid of Squabbles, or is there a way for everyone to get along?

South Melbourne: Affirm Press, 2018

WINNER Book of the Year 2019 : Early Childhood

Poor Tricky! Nothing is going right for him. Milk spills, pyjama buttons won't work, his little sister wrecks their game, and when he tries to help out, everything gets worse. Tricky's having a very bad day! Then Dad has an idea. Outside it's wild, but there's a lot to explore... From Australia's favourite picture-book creator comes a warm and funny story about the very recognisable mess, muddle and love that is the life of a young family - and the freedom of an outside adventure.

Kew East, Victoria: Berbay Publishing, 2018

Honour Book 2019

At first we can only see the insects tails. Some clues help us try to identify each insect as we learn more about each one. Now, can you guess the insect that each tail belongs to before they are revealed once the page is turned?

Crows Nest, NSW : Allen & Unwin, 2018

Honour Book 2019

Audience: Ages 3+

Stinkbug can really stink. But when it starts bugging his friends, Stinkbug wonders if it's time to stop doing what stink bugs do best. This is a funny bug story about when it's okay to stink and when it might be wiser not to.

Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2018

Audience: Ages 3+

The Frolleys have to move from their beloved house at 32 Sunshine Avenue to a place with dripping taps, stinky carpets and ants. But they have brought something with them that can turn any house into a home. The Dress-Up Box is a story about childhood, belonging and the power of imagination.

Sydney: Scholastic Australia, 2018

Audience: Ages 4+

Bear likes to dive into the deep blue ocean, blowing bubbles and turning somersaults. He wakes with the sun and sleeps with the moon. One morning, Bear is shocked to discover that his coat has changed. Is Bear dreaming? Or are two cheeky polar bear cubs responsible?

St Leonards: Allen & Unwin, 2018

Audience: Ages 1 - 4

Noni the Pony heads out for the day, to roam the green hills behind Waratah Bay. As she and her friends wander down a green trail, they meet someone small with a very long tail. Can they help the lost baby wallaby find the way home?

Gosford, N.S.W. : Omnibus Books, an imprint of Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd, 2017

WINNER Book of the Year 2018 : Early Childhood

Audience: For primary school age

Summary: 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!

South Melbourne, Victoria : Affirm Press, 2017

Honour Book 2018

Audience: Ages 2-6

Summary: Here is the story of a very noisy baby. She could bellow like a buffalo. And roar like a lion. And howl like a wolf for a very long time. The baby loves to make all kinds of sounds. She's really very loud. But when some animals in the town go missing, can the very noisy baby help?

Sydney, NSW : Hachette Australia, 2017

Honour Book 2018

Audience: For primary school age

Summary: Ruby Lee is a little girl with a very big imagination. Every week Ruby's teacher, Mrs Majestic-Jones, asks special people to do special jobs in her class. Ruby would do anything to be the messenger, as she's the best in her class at announcing. But will her wild imagination get in the way?

Lindfield, N.S.W. Scholastic Australia, 2017

Audience: For primary school age

Summary: The kings battles with the dragon were always mighty and loud... CLING CLANG CLONG! ROAR! Boy lived in a silent world and couldnt hear the fighting. But Boy could see the fear around him... and how everyone would be much happier.

Lindfield, N.S.W. : Scholastic Australia, 2017

Audience: For primary school age

Summary: I'm Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that? From countries near and far, many have made their home in Australia, sharing it with the original inhabitants, and living in peace beneath the Southern Star.

Neutral Bay : Scoresby : Little Hare Books, United Book Distributors Distributor, 2017

Audience: Ages 3-6

Summary: The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.But Penguins don't fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert's quest to find his place in the world.Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

Sydney : Allen & Unwin, 2016

WINNER Book of the Year 2017 : Early Childhood

Summary: At Canteen Creek where we live, there are cheeky dogs everywhere. But when the cheeky goats, donkeys, buffaloes, and camels make mischief in the camp, the dogs just lie there--until those pesky animals really go too far. Then the cheeky camp dogs roar into action!

Adelaide, S.A. Working Title Press, 2016

Honour Book 2017

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: Nannie lives on a farm with rolling hills, a muddy creek, and lots of animals. Nannie loves her farm. But what Nannie loves most is when her family come to stay.

Newtown, NSW, Australia : Walker Books Australia, 2016

Honour Book 2017

Audience: For children

Summary: Any bird can find adventure. Even Gary. A story for birds who dare to dream.

Glebe, NSW New Frontier Publishing, 2016

Audience: For primary school age

Summary: An Australian Christmas is threatened when drought takes hold. A little girl has only one wish ; for rain. Will her wish come true?

Sydney : Allen & Unwin, 2016

Summary: It’s a big journey through the snow for a little wombat, meeting animals, birds, and people along the way. . . but there’s no place like home! A heartwarming story set in the Australian High Country.

Scoresby, Victoria : The Five Mile Press, 2016

Audience: For children

Summary: Chip, like most other gulls, is wild about chips. He likes fat chips, skinny chips, sandy or crunchy or soggy chips. But, most of all, he loves Joe’s chips from Joe’s Chip Van beside the sea. Chip, like most other gulls, can be a little intrusive on his search for chips. So, one day, Joe erects a sign near his van warning people not to feed the seagulls. Chip is devastated, so he plans a way to get back into Joe’s good books, thus gaining access once more to his favourite food. Will Chip succeed, or has he gone to far this time?

Melbourne, Victoria Penguin Australia, 2015

WINNER Book of the Year 2016 : Early Childhood

Audience: For children

Summary: Bill is having a bad day. Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem difficult. Bill tries to get rid of him, but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger! Then they both stop, and a surprising thing happens ... Gentle and poignant, affirming and wise, Mr Huff is a story about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives.

Richmond, Vic. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015

Honour Book 2016

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells . . . paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end. Danny Parker captures the simplicity, spontaneity and freedom of an idyllic childhood, while Freya Blackwood's paintings of three children roaming a rolling beachside idyll capture the light--and even the smell and feel--of a perfect summer day.

Lindfield, NSW Scholastic Australia, 2015

Honour Book 2016

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: Hey diddle diddle You all know the riddle A cow jumps over the moon... But the moon is very high in the sky. How many attempts will it take before Cow makes her famous high-flying leap?

Lindfield, NSW Scholastic Australia, 2015

Audience: For children

Summary: From the best-selling author of Pig the Pug, Thelma the Unicorn and Pig the Fibber comes one of the funniest and cheekiest books you'll ever read! "Hey there guys. Would you like a banana? What's wrong with you, Brian? You're a Piranha." Brian is a piranha. He is also a vegetarian. But do you think he can convince his family to join him?

Melbourne, Vic. Penguin Group Australia, 2015

Audience: For children

Summary: An energetic story about a little dog who causes a big commotion! Meet my dog Bigsy. He's only small, but everyone knows he's the boss. Each morning he visits the animals on the farm. Squawk, neigh, quack, moo, baa, oink, cluck, purr, ruff ruff ruff! What a lot of noise! And all because of Bigsy!

North Sydney, NSW Random House Australia, 2015

Audience: For preschool age

Summary: The wind blows all day on Ollie's island. There aren't many people around, but there's lots of space to play. One day the wind steals Ollie's hat. Then it darts away with his scarf. But is the wind just naughty, or is it trying to tell Ollie something?

Richmond, Victoria Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014

WINNER Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: If only Jessie would lie down. If only she would go to sleep. But nothing will settle her ...except maybe a little sisterly know-how.

Adelaide, SA Working Title Press, 2014

Honour Book

Audience: For children

Summary: Once upon a scary night three friends set out on a journey. Hare with hat. Cat with a cake and Pig with Parcel. But where were they going in the dead of the night, tip-toe creeping in the pale moonlight? It was a mystery!

Crows Nest, NSW Allen & Unwin, 2014

Honour Book

Audience: Juvenile/Primary

Summary: Come to the beach with Noni - the nicest pony you could ever meet - in this purely delightful rhyming story for young children. Noni the Pony is friendly and funny. She loves going down to the beach when it's sunny. With her two very best friends Dave Dog and Coco the Cat, and the cows from next door, it's going to be a wonderful day.

Richmond, Victoria, Australia Little Hare Books, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014

Audience: For children

Summary: Audrey is bigger than she was yesterday. Now she needs a bigger house. So she tells her dad to build her one. At the top of a tree. It is an ideal house. It has a bathtub for snorkeling, a place to drink tea, and somewhere to hide the dirty cups. The house is perfect in every way. Except for one thing. This is a gently humorous story that explores the clash between a quest for independence and the longing for security.

Gosford, A : Scholastic Australia, 2014

Audience: Juvenile/Primary

Summary: Pig was a Pug and I'm sorry to say, he was greedy and selfish in most every way. Pig is the greediest Pug in the world. He is ill-tempered, rude and unreasonable. When Pig the Pug is asked to share his toys, something unexpected happens ... Hopefully Pig has learned a lesson!

Lindfield, N.S.W. : Scholastic Australia, 2014

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: Snail and Turtle like hiding, but never from each other. Snail and Turtle are friends and love to spend time together. They like to run, walk and enjoy being quiet together.

Richmond, Victoria Little Hare, 2013

WINNER Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: Caroline Crocodile's baby brother dribbles. But all Mama Crocodile EVER says is how GORGEOUS he is. Caroline is VERY jealous. So she goes to the Baby Shop and tries to swap her dribbly brother for a new baby. The trouble is, there's something not quite right with any of them.

[Melbourne] Penguin Books (Australia), 2013

Honour Book

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: Stomp, splash, slide, dive . . . . This little dinosaur just loves mud! Rounded corners and boardbook format with thick card stock make this a perfect book for early readers. Simple rhyming text and repetition make this a lovely read-aloud book for the very young.

Richmond, Victoria Hardie Grant Egmont, 2013

Honour Book

Audience: For pre-school age

Summary: A funny and touching story of antagonism and love by award-winning author Libby Gleeson, with illustrations by internationally acclaimed Freya Blackwood. Banjo is a hard-working farm dog and Ruby Red is a haughty chicken, and they never see eye to eye. Can they ever be friends?

Hawthorn, A : Penguin Books Australia, 2013

Audience: Juvenile/Primary

Summary: A gentle, heartwarming picture book to share and treasure from picture book masters Mem Fox and Emma Quay. There comes a time for sleeping, and our sleepy time is now... So fall asleep, my angel, with a kiss upon your brow. Written in gentle, rhythmic rhyme, Baby Bedtime is the perfect winding-down story to read aloud before bed.

Newtown, N.S.W. : Walker Books Australia, 2013

Audience: Ages 3+

Summary: Surfing grandmothers and sea creatures! The perfect summer story. My granny and her friends go to the beach, and I go too. When they hit the surf, they duck and dive and twist and turn. It looks like lots of fun. But I dont want to go in the water. There are strange things under the waves.

Hawthorn, A : Penguin Books Australia, 2013

Audience: Juvenile/Primary

Summary: Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby's wonder at our beautiful world.

Parkside, S. Aust. : Omnibus Books, 2012

Audience/Format: Pre-school age

Summary: What do you do when it’s your first day of school and your mum gives you a terrible suitcase instead of a red backpack with yellow rockets and a silver zipper? Well, first you get mad. M A D! Then you use your imagination to build a rocket ship and escape with all your new friends.

Kew East, Vic. : Windy Hollow Books, 2012

Audience/Format: Primary school children

Summary: A leaf that flies... A rock that hops... These are some of the wonderful things that Simon sees on his walk with Nan.

Lindfield, N.S.W. : Scholastic Press, 2012

Audience/Format: Preschool age

Summary: Frogboy and Camille are best friends but they are very different. Camille speaks in numbers and Frogboy likes to dress up. With Camilles help he finds that dressing up as a frog is perfect for him, but when he tries to convince his friend to be a frog too, his plan goes terribly wrong.

Melbourne : Penguin/Viking, 2012

Audience/Format: Pre-school age

Summary: In Eric's house there were too many elephants - in the living room, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, even in his bedroom! The elephants take up a lot of space, but Eric loves every one of them. So when his mum says they have to go, Eric comes up with a clever solution to a very BIG problem. From the creators of The Terrible Plop comes this delightfully energetic story, full of fun and exuberance.

Richmond, Vic. : Little Hare, c2012

Audience/Format: Primary school age

Summary: A fabulous introduction for younger readers to the adored children's fiction character Audrey of the Outback. Audrey lives in the outback, so when she loses her first tooth, she's worried the tooth fairy will never find her! How will she let the tooth fairy know where she lives... and what will the tooth fairy leave her?

Lindfield, N.S.W. : Scholastic Press, 2012

Audience/Format: Pre-school age

Summary: Peggy is both a humorous and poignant story of a brave chicken on a big adventure! Peggy lives in a small house in a quiet street. One blustery day a big gust of wind sweeps down and scoops up leaves, twigs and...Peggy! The wind blows Peggy into the city, where she discovers strange new things, but how will she find her way back home?