Tilly in a Tangle by Margrete Lamond illustrated by Monty Lee

Tilly in a Tangle by Margrete Lamond illustrated by Monty Lee Dirt Lane Press, WestWords ‘Tilly’s boat tumbles and jumbles. It muddles and mangles. Before long, Tilly is tangled inside, all the way to who-knows-where. (Tilly in a Tangle) Tilly in a Tangle by Margrete Lamond, illustrated by Monty Lee is a 2025 CBCA Notable […]

Hazel’s Treehouse by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Judy Watson

Hazel’s Treehouse by Zanni Louise & illustrated by Judy Watson Walker Books (Australia) “‘What’s today?’ asks Odette, sitting up stretching. ‘Sunday,’ says Hazel with a yawn. Poky lies on her chest. This morning, Poky is the colour of mandarins and sunsets. It’s a warm and snuggly colour for an echidna.” (Hazel’s Treehouse) The pairing of […]

The Big Backyard Plan by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel

The Big Backyard Plan by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel Published by Affirm Press Guest Author & Illustrator Post by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel Thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog about your picture book The Big Backyard Plan, Kirsten and Laura. The Big Backyard Plan is a story about four friends – Azumi, Theo, Bree […]

Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas

Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas (University of Queensland Press) Author/illustrator Interview at PaperbarkWords “Leo dropped the telescope and rolled over, laughing. Ralph always cracked him up like that. They had … dreamt of planets with funny names, imagined the creatures that lived there and the spaceships they might fly. If Mum didn’t call out to […]

Thunderhead by Sophie Beer

Thunderhead by Sophie Beer Author Interview at PaperbarkWords “I know that what I’m going through right now is the rather unfortunate end result of a few troublesome cells. It isn’t the universe conspiring against me. It’s just bad luck, a random event in a meaningless mess. But I read somewhere that humans are programmed to […]

Summer of Shipwrecks by Shivaun Plozza

Summer of Shipwrecks by Shivaun Plozza Published by UQP “How to Stop My Holiday Sucking: A Plan by Sidney Sackbridge. Step one: do something about Hailey. Maybe Hailey really is the absolute coolest person for real but do the math. When it’s just me and Lou, I get one hundred per cent Lou-time, which equals the […]

Bear and Duck are Friends by Sue deGennaro

Bear and Duck are Friends by Sue deGennaro (Published by Little Hare an imprint of Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Bear and Duck are Friends is an HONOUR BOOK in the CBCA 2024 Book of the Year Early Childhood category. “Duck loved trying […]

Interview with Patricia Mullins, Iconic picture book creator

Interview with Patricia Mullins iconic picture book creator I interviewed Patricia Mullins about her picture books for Magpies magazine earlier in 2024: Carousels, Conservation & Collage: Patricia Mullins “Patricia Mullins is an iconic Australian children’s book illustrator of classics such as Hattie and the Fox and Shoes from Grandpa (written by Mem Fox), The Magic […]

Listen, Hippo! Written and illustrated by Gabriel Evans

Listen, Hippo! Written and illustrated by Gabriel Evans Published by Puffin “’I’m feeling sad,’ said Billy. My thoughts are whirling and twirling like a pinwheel. I think what I need is – ’ ‘Aha! As your best friend I know exactly what you need,’ said Hippo.’” (Listen, Hippo!) I jumped at the offer of an […]

Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood “Nature stuff is TREASURE!” (Hello Twigs: Let’s Find Treasure) The new Hello Twigs series of lively, humorous graphic novels for children has great appeal because of its familiar and yet unpredictable stories based around four friends (the familiar) who are twigs (the unexpected) who all have an […]