Grumble Boats by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie

Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Susannah and Tamsin. Your picture book Grumble Boats (Affirm Press) is an original and uplifting picture book for young children about expressing and dealing with grumpiness and the relationship between Emma and her Grandma. It accentuates Grandma’s kindness and wisdom, Emma’s trust and their mutual love. Susannah, I love […]

Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen

Inside the 2021 CBCA Shortlist Most books shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood award are fiction. Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen (Affirm Press) has broken the mould in fine style. It is a superb non-fiction picture book about Australian birds. Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Sarah. Congratulations on Busy […]

Your Birthday Was the Best! by Maggie Hutchings, illustrated by Felicita Sala

Inside the 2021 CBCA Shortlist Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People “I ATE SO MUCH I FELL ASLEEP ON YOUR CAKE.” (Your Birthday Was the Best!) Your Birthday Was the Best! written by Maggie Hutchings and illustrated by Felicita Sala (Affirm Press) is shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Picture Book of the Year […]

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

“Despite the heat she shivered. This wasn’t … foreboding anymore – the nervous feeling that warned her of trouble. It was the sense that she had already made a wrong turn somewhere, and was in deep trouble already.” (The Grandest Bookshop in the World) Amelia Mellor is an impressive new talent. Her first middle-fiction […]

The Dictionary of Lost Words

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams The poppies burgeoning from a small wooden suitcase on the cover of Pip Williams’ The Dictionary of Lost Words (Affirm Press) beguile the reader into this well-told story of words, Oxford, history and the changing role of women. Esme’s mother Lily has died and she is being […]

Tricky’s Bad Day by Alison Lester

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Tricky’s Bad Day by Alison Lester (Affirm Press) is shortlisted in the Early Childhood category of the CBCA 2019 awards. It is engaging whilst being full of observations and wise understanding about the life of a young child and his or her family. Tricky is a young cat/child; still young enough […]