The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Marc McBride

The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Marc McBride Author and illustrator interview with Sofie Laguna and Marc McBride “The Song of Lewis Carmichael is written by Sofie Laguna with pictures by her husband Marc McBride, who is well-known for illustrating Emily Rodda’s best-selling Deltora Quest series. Sofie Laguna is equally acclaimed. […]

Hello World by Lisa Shanahan & Leila Rudge

Hello World by Lisa Shanahan & Leila Rudge ABC Books, HarperCollins Publishers LISA: Picture books often grow out of a wild hotchpotch of memory, keen observation and deeply felt emotion. With regards to Hello World, I was certainly inspired by my own memories of parenting little ones. Like most kids, my three boys were often […]

Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master

Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Exit Through the Gift Shop is a stand-out middle-fiction novel for mature children in upper primary and for readers in junior secondary school. The combined title and cover are eye-catching. The voice of 12-year-old Ana is striking, memorable […]

CBCA 2021 Winners

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) winners and honour books for 2021 have been announced. Follow the links to those I have already reviewed or interviewed the author or illustrator on the blog. Congratulations to those creators who have been commended in this way. Older Readers WINNER The End of the World is Bigger […]

Little One by Jane Godwin and Gabriel Evans

Jane Godwin and Gabriel Evans talk about their thoughtful and wistful picture book, Little One. Jane: The story of Little One came from my own memories of a treasured toy (‘toy’ feels like too insignificant a word for these important transitional objects!) and those of the young people around me. It’s a story of how […]

Australian Backyard Birdies by Andy Geppert

Andy Geppert writes about his new book, Australian Backyard Birdies: I thought I loved birds more than anyone else…. until my daughter Harri came along, that was. Harri was an early bird herself. She used to wake up before most roosters and our daily ritual was to go straight outside onto our small back deck […]

Ten Tenets for Literary Panels

Literary Panels – The Ten Tenets Thank you to the literary community for the open and constructive discussion following our recent blog post, Are Literary Panels a Bad Idea? This is still being discussed and I was inspired to think a bit deeper about book judging and literary panels. I am not saying that it […]

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS by Amanda Christensen & Coral Vass

Where the Magic Happens by Amanda Christensen & Coral Vass, illustrated by Nicky Johnston I found the picture book, Where the Magic Happens very moving, instructive and hopeful, not only for young children with brain cancer but also for their families. In fact, it helps all readers understand what a young cancer patient may experience. […]

When the Sakura Bloom by Narisa Togo

Book Review The Tokyo Olympic Games and the hints of spring flowers peeping through the cold earth make this an ideal time to feature Narisa Togo’s When the Sakura Bloom. I also adore blossoms and have been longing to find some time to savour and share this beautiful picture book. Japan is, of course, well […]

When Days Tilt by Karen Ginnane

On writing When Days Tilt by Karen Ginnane This book had the gestation of a small planet and it assumed various forms during its long development. However, a few conceptual structural beams have remained unchanged, such as: London as character. Time, and how people use it. Filling your own time on this earth as best […]