The Space Between by Jess McGeachin

The Space Between by Jess McGeachin Published by Penguin Books It is Jess McGeachin’s time. His picture books Fly, The Lost Library, Frankie and the Fossil, The Tree at Number 43, Kind and others are steadily garnering a following as well as awards. Jess is a thoughtful and assured author-illustrator who prizes the imagination. He […]

Interview with Patricia Mullins, Iconic picture book creator

Interview with Patricia Mullins iconic picture book creator I interviewed Patricia Mullins about her picture books for Magpies magazine earlier in 2024: Carousels, Conservation & Collage: Patricia Mullins “Patricia Mullins is an iconic Australian children’s book illustrator of classics such as Hattie and the Fox and Shoes from Grandpa (written by Mem Fox), The Magic […]

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolfer ill. Tony Flowers

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolferill. Tony Flowers (Walker Books Australia) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Scout and the Rescue Dogs is shortlisted in the CBCA 2024 Book of the Year Younger Readers category. Congratulations on having yet another of your books CBCA shortlisted, Dianne […]

Paper-flower Girl written by Margrete Lamond, illustrated by Mateja Jager

Paper-flower Girl written by Margrete Lamond, illustrated by Mateja Jager Published by Dirt Lane Press, WestWords Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Paper-flower Girl is an HONOUR BOOK in the CBCA 2024 Picture Book of the Year category. “Up there the Paper-flower Girl. She speeds. She cuts. […]

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks Published by Puffin (AU) an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Scar Town is the winner of the prestigious CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Reader category and is also declared the winner by children, who […]

INSIDE THE CBCA 2024 SHORTLIST

INSIDE THE CBCA 2024 SHORTLIST The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2024 have been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, at PaperbarkWords blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Also see the 2024 NOTABLE BOOKS at […]

The Kindness Project by Deborah Abela

Kindness as a Superpower The Kindness Project a middle grade verse novel by Deborah Abela Increasing in popularity, verse novels are a very important and innovative form. Of course, we have some standout verse novelists from the adult list with Dorothy Porter, Les Murray, Alan Wearne and others. Equally significant are our verse novelists for […]

Inside the 2024 CBCA Notable Books

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2024 have been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed or interviewed the author or illustrator at PaperbarkWords blog. NB I will add reviews and interviews here and on the Inside the 2024 Shortlist page on the blog (once the shortlist is announced) until the […]

Clever, Funny, Thinking Picture Books

Picture Book Reviews by Joy in Books at Paperbark Words blog Books published by ABC Books, HarperCollins Australia & Working Title Press 2023 has produced a really great stash of picture books from ABC Books, Working Title Press and HarperCollins, as well as the reissue of some of the latter’s contemporary classics. The following books should be bought, borrowed […]

The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty

The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin) “ ‘And what is this world?’ I asked. ‘It’s called the Kingdoms and Empires. It’s like our world, only more old-fashioned. Plus they have magic. The main thing to remember is that Shadow Mages are good and Spellbinders can bind Shadow Magic. Genies […]