Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley illustrated by Max Hamilton

Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Max Hamilton Published by Windy Hollow Books Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Author & Illustrator Interview Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Max Hamilton (Windy Hollow Books) is a celebration of the Australian bush […]

Love Letter to Lola by Carmel Bird

Love Letter to LolaCarmel BirdSpineless WondersReviewed by Joy LawnReleased May 2023PaperbackISBN 9781925052961RRP $24.99Category: Adult Fiction Love Letter to Lola by Carmel Bird (published by Spineless Wonders) (This review was commissioned by Books+Publishing and is reproduced with permission) Carmel Bird was the recipient of the 2016 Patrick White Literary Award and is a respected author of […]

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 […]

BOWERBIRD BLUES by Aura Parker

BOWERBIRD BLUES by Aura Parker On Writing and Illustrating BOWERBIRD BLUES Guest author/illustrator post at PaperbarkWords blog by Aura Parker My latest creation, Bowerbird Blues is a picture book about longing, searching and love. A story which has slowly simmered along over the last few tumultuous years and means a great deal to me. My […]

Big Tree by Brian Selznick

Big Tree by Brian Selznick Big Tree Book Review by Joy Lawn (Joy in Books) at PaperbarkWords blog Brian Selznick’s first major work The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a seminal book. Its combination of page after page of black and white drawings interspersed with pages of written text and its setting in a 1930s […]

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 […]

Snap! by Anna Walker

Snap! by Anna Walker Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Snap! By Anna Walker (published Scribble Kids’ Books) Snap! is an exuberant gem of a picture book for young readers and will also be relished by those who share it with them. It is the dramatic tale […]

Itty Bitty Kitty by Maddy Mara, illustrated by Noémie Geonet Landry

Itty Bitty Kittyby Maddy Mara, illustrated by Noémie Geonet Landry Itty Bitty Kitty 1 & 2 is published by Affirm Press Maddy Mara writes a Guest Author post for PaperbarkWords: Maddy Mara on creative collaborations, and the Itty Bitty Kitty series The first thing you should know about Maddy Mara is that ‘she’ is actually […]

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 […]

Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin, illustrated by Pip Kruger

Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin, illustrated Pip Kruger Guest author: Caz Goodwin Could you tell us about your new picture book, Grace and Mr Milligan? Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Charlie passes away, everything changes. Grace is disturbed […]