The All New Must Have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Before reading this satire, children guess what the title means. What might the Orange 430 itself be? What could be the relevance of this numeral? The All New Must Have Orange 430 (Penguin Random House Australia) is a humorous, although cautionary, tale about Harvey who must have the new Orange 430 […]

The Mediterranean by Armin Greder

Inside the CBCA Shortlist The Mediterranean (Allen & Unwin) is a picture book for mature readers. It is not for reading pleasure. It is deliberately confronting, aiming to shock the reader with the terrible issue of dead refugees. The quote at the end of the book tells us that the story is based on the […]

Cicada by Shaun Tan

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Shaun Tan has won major Australian and international awards, including the Astrid Lindgren Award and an Academy Award for The Lost Thing. Australian authors and illustrators are breaking ground on the world stage in their portrayal of refugees and the displaced. (I have written about some of these books in Raising […]

The Feather by Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood

Inside the CBCA Shortlist The Feather (Hardie Grant Egmont) is written and illustrated by two of Australia’s most eminent picture book creators, Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood. The Feather is an allegorical, allusive tale. It begins, “In the darkness of day, the feather falls. It used to be part of a wing that was serene […]

Girl on Wire by Lucy Estela & Elise Hurst

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Girl on Wire (Penguin Random House) is a highly metaphorical picture book, for older children, where a wire resembles a tightrope. It is a stunning work painted in oils, and the book cover resembles a painting canvas. In the story an unnamed girl seems to be in a difficult or even […]