Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace ill. Jaelyn Biumaiwai

Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace, ill. Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Hardie Grant Publishing) Isaiah Firebrace is a Yorta Yorta and Gundit Jamara man whose formative years were spent on the banks of the Murray River. He grew up singing in church and sprang to fame when he won […]

ANZAC & Gallipoli Picture Books

ANZAC & Gallipoli picture books I reviewed these books for the SMH/The Age in 2015 – so it is a review of its time. Thanks to Susan Wyndham for commissioning the review. ***** Gallipoli books for children open an enlightening window on the reality of war SYDNEY MORNING HERALD/THE AGE April 25, 2015 By Joy […]

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac (published Walker Books Australia) A is for Australian Reefs is the latest in Frané Lessac’s impressive body of picture books. Her books are distinctive for […]

inside the cbca 2023 shortlist

INSIDE THE CBCA 2023 SHORTLIST The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2023 has been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, on the blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Also see the 2023 […]

INSIDE THE 2023 CBCA NOTABLE BOOKS

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2023 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 2023 Shortlist page on the blog (once the shortlist is announced) until the winners […]

What’s the Big Idea? by Sue Lawson & Karen Tayleur

What’s the Big Idea?: Australian Inventions that Changed the World by Sue Lawson & Karen Tayleur (Wild Dogs Books) The inventions in this book are impressive and, in fact, mind-boggling. They begin with First Nations inventions such as yidakas (didgeridoos), fish and eel traps and fire stick farming, and continue through the eras to the […]

Swim, Shark, Swim! & The Voyage of Whale and Calf

PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT SHARKS AND WHALES Swim, Shark, Swim! by Dom Conlon & Anastasia Izlesou The Voyage of Whale and Calf by Vanessa Pirotta, illustrated by Samantha Metcalfe (CSIRO Publishing) Book Reviews by Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog ***** Swim, Shark, Swim! by Dom Conlon & Anastasia Izlesou It is the perfect time of year to read a […]

Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World

Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World by Shannon Meyerkort Illustrator: Amy Blackwell Publisher: Affirm Press Shannon Meyerkort talks to ‘Joy in Books’ at PaperbarkWords about the background to her important book Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World. My youngest daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia a few years ago, just […]

Walking in Gagudju Country by Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long

Walking in Gagudju Country by Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest Walking in Gagudju Country is an informed and warm invitation to walk into Gagadju (Kakadu). The authors, Diane […]

Book of Curious Birds by Jennifer Cossins

Book of Curious Birds by Jennifer Cossins Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books Interview extract by Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog (adapted from an interview in Magpies magazine) & how to use the book with children. I interviewed Jennifer Cossins while she was creating Book […]