In this latest book from Sharon Giltrow we find a young girl and her mother getting ready for school. Except this is no ordinary morning routine. In this warm and funny story we see the roles reversed, with the young child urging her mama to get out of bed, get dressed (and help her put the clothes on the right way), eat breakfast, get her shoes on and finally get out the door and be on the way to school. When they arrive at school mama wants one more hug, one more kiss and a pinkie promise that they will see each other later. Parents will relate to the morning rush and the extrication of limbs and goodbyes at the school gate before the children happily run off to find their friends and start the school day. Children will recognise the hilarity of the role reversal and see themselves in the many tasks that mama has to finish before the school morning can begin.
Sharon's humorous and engaging text is complimented by Arielle's bright and playful illustrations that expertly capture the essence of the story. Get Ready, Mama! is a wonderful addition to any library collection for young children. 

Themes to be explored in the classroom could include morning routines, families, mother-daughter relationships,  getting ready for school, responsibility and self awareness. 

Find out more about Sharon Giltrow
Find out more about Arielle Li

Published by EK Books for Kids. Release date April 6, 2022.
ISBN 9781922539083 (HB) 
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Fierce Girls is a uniquely Australian book celebrating five women who have inspired recent generations, both young and old, to follow their dreams, strive for excellence and continue breaking down barriers. The women included in the book come from different backgrounds and are involved in different fields of endeavour, but the one thing they all have in common is their determination to achieve despite the challenges they faced. From politics to surfing, tennis to stage performance, and writing, each has achieved many highlights in their careers, with more still to come. Samantha Turnbull's text is very accessible and engaging with some really interesting, and perhaps not so well known anecdotes, about the early lives and careers of the five. Kim Siew's artwork is bold and bright, almost like a graphic novel, with speech bubbles and images that represent the essence of each story - the perfect way to represent these bold and bright women. And 'fierce' is such an apt description of these women who believed in themselves and never accepted 'no' as an option! There are other books out there describing female pioneers like the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls series, but none that are dedicated solely to our gutsy and spirited Australian female ground breakers. Originally an ABC podcast series, I'm hoping Fierce Girls is just the first in a series of similar books about Australian women. This is a must have for all school library Biography sections. 

Use this book for Upper Primary and Secondary students when looking at biographies and discussing famous people, famous women, famous Australians. Themes to be explored could include resilience, risk taking, politics, sport, acting, indigenous Australians and literature.  

Find out more about Samantha Turnbull
Find out more about Kim Siew

Published 2022 by  Five Mile. 
ISBN 9781922677051 (HB)
Recommended for ages 8 - 14

'Breathe deeply and take your time. The making of a bird is not a thing to be hurried.' '. . . feel your slowly beating heart fill with a kind of sadness, a kind of happiness. For this is when you will know that you have really made a bird.' These are my favourite lines form this beautifully delicate and evocative story. Yes there is a bird that is made, but it is so much more than just a bird.  From the delicate bones gathered by the child, to figuring out how to put them together, and then the thoughtful imagining of what is needed for the bird to truly fly, are ideas expertly brought to life in Meg's soulful, meditative text. There is a sense of wonder at every page turn as we follow the journey of the child and the bird in its making. I love Matt's blueprint that forms part of the front cover illustration as this creates the simple deception that there is a blueprint to follow, when in fact there really isn't. His palette of soft, paler hues and tones throughout the majority of the story adds to the ethereal nature of the text. The exquisite, brighter colours of the feathers are a marvellous contrast and help focus the readers' attention on the possibilities of what the bird might do and become. 
How To Make A Bird is a story of self belief, individuality, resilience, belonging and limitless imagination, and is a picture book for all ages - not just younger readers. There are so many layers to both the text and the illustrations that you will discover something new every time you read this stunning 2021 CBCA Picture Book Award winner. 

Use this story in both primary and secondary classrooms for poetry studies, storytelling, art studies and for maker space ideas. Themes to be explored could include resilience, belonging, imagination, self-awareness, compassion and inventiveness. 

Find out more about Meg McKinlay. 
Find out more about Matt Ottley.

Published 2020 by Walker Books Australia.
ISBN 9781925381894 (HB)
Highly recommended for ages 6 - 12
I would also recommend this book for middle and high school students. 

Can you ride a bicycle? Do you remember how exhilarating it felt pumping the pedals and taking off down the street? In this new book by the 2021 Crystal Kite winner Valerie Bolling, we follow a young girl as she attempts to ride her bicycle for the very first time. With help and encouragement from her Dad, she is off and riding until. . . uh-oh, look out! There's a slip, a wobble and a fall. That hurt! After a healing hug from Dad, the young girl has to decide whether to get back on the bike and try again - or not. Knowing that Dad is right there beside her helps make the decision easy, and soon she is back up and soaring! With sparse, rhyming text, every word counts in this heartfelt and empowering story. Coretta Scott King honoree Kaylani Jaunita's illustrations are vibrant and fun, and highlight perfectly the angst and exuberance of trying something for the first time. Together We Ride is a wonderful celebration of family, courage, trust, and that amazing feeling of freedom when you spread your wings and fly for the first time! 

​Use this in the classroom to explore themes of trust, family, resilience, risk taking and transport. 

Find out more about Valerie Bolling
​Find out more about Kaylani Juanita
Click here for the author interview on Blog Bites

Release date April 26, 2022. Published by Chronicle Books
ISBN 9781797212487
Recommended for ages 3 - 5

This new rhyming tale from award winning author Graeme Base has something for everyone - vampires, robots, computers, bravery, adventure and a fearless heroine. The story opens with the death of a robot whose battery has been drained in the dead of the night by the evil vampire laptop Voltoid. The robotic townsfolk are consumed with fear and panic as all have heard of the dreaded Curse of Voltoid! PC Web calls for a volunteer to confront Voltoid and erase all files from his hard drive. The only one courageous enough to take on the challenge is Gertie Gif, a lowly cleaning droid. Gertie sets off with determination and resolve up the Hill of Dread towards Voltoid's Gothic style castle. Along the way she manages to delete the terrifying ware-wolf's system and befriends a baby software-wolf. Once in the castle, Gertie finds Voltoid in sleep mode and can see he's in dire need of a system clean and software update. She's almost finished when she realises she has forgotten her software bag! The young software-wolf leaps forward declaring 'I've got the latest updates!' He sinks his teeth into Voltoid's core, and loads him up with V-DOS 10.4. As the vampire's screen changes from sickly green to desktop blue, he reverts back to his normal friendly self. Over time, Gertie and the young software-wolf's success is written into the history of the town, eventually becoming a meme with a total data stream!
I absolutely love Graeme's play on tech terminology and there are lots of humorous character names (PC Web, MacSpam, Gertie Gif) and lines like 'I'm told the thing to do is drive a sharpened vector through his undead CPU', 'A cleaning out is what you need - now open up those ports.' And teachers will totally relate to the line 'No wonder I feel better - you've deleted Comic Sans!' This has to be one of the most overused fonts in education! Graeme's black and white illustrations are a delight and there is something new to discover every time the reader revisits a page. The aerial image of Gertie as she and the young software-wolf enter Voltoids' lair would be a wonderful study in perspective for young artists. A masterful interweaving of old and new that is a must have for school library and home collections. 

Use this story in classrooms for poetry studies, storytelling, myths and legends, art studies (perspective, use of black and white for impact, how to bring character to inanimate objects) and of course as a comparison study to the story of Dracula! Themes to be explored could include bravery, adventure and friendship.

Find out more about Graeme Base

Published 2021 by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia
ISBN 9781460754696 (HB)
Recommended by the publisher for ages 5 + but I would suggest 8 + due to style and complexity of language.

The Curiosities centers around a young boy named Miro, who begins to see the world in a way that is different to others. When the Curiosities first appear they seem to blend in, but gradually they show Miro the 'oddments and snippets', 'wonders and possibles' in the places where no-one else looks. Sometimes the curiosities would show Miro how to tickle songs from the earth, whisper up waves and dance with him deep into the night. The pull of the curiosities gradually became stronger and stronger and soon others in his village begin to notice them too. They became so loud that people began to stare, and no matter what he did, Miro could not tame them. They were almost unbearable, and he felt as though he was vanishing deep inside the earth. Then he heard the whisper of a village elder who helped Miro brush away the darkness of the curiosities. They were still there, but he found the more he connected with people, the easier it was to control them. And he noticed that many others had their own the curiosities too which helped him feel not so alone. 
​There are many who deal with neurodiversities and disabilities, and this book is a wonderful celebration of who we are and how we see ourselves, and encourages us to not to worry too much how others choose to see us. Zana Fraillon is one of my favourite YA authors and she has managed the cross over to picture books flawlessly. Her text is poignant and uplifting, but also challenging, asking us to know ourselves first before we look at how we perceive others. Phil's whimsical and playful images draw us into Miro's world to see what life looks like through his eyes. His clever depictions of the curiosities as recognisable but wisp-like creatures, make us aware but not afraid of them, and inspires us to embrace the curiosities in all of us.  

Diversity, autism, neurodiversity, acceptance, empathy, perspective, community, culture and mental health are all topics that can be introduced and discussed when using this beautiful and highly recommended book in the classroom. 

Find out more about Zana Fraillon
​Find out more about Phil Lesnie

Published in 2021 by Hachette Australia
ISBN 9780734417848 (HB)
Recommended for ages 4 - 8

Isabel and her family couldn't afford a lot of things like heating, going to the cinema, scooters or brand new clothes, but she always noticed the beautiful things around her, like the ice patterns on her window and the snow flakes falling outside. And really she had everything they needed - her books and her family. But when their wasn't enough money to pay rent or bills, they had to move to the other side of the city and for the first time Isabel couldn't find anything beautiful. It seemed people on this side of the city didn't even know she was there. She felt herself becoming more and more invisible as people drove or walked straight past her. Eventually, Isabel faded away altogether. That's when she started to notice the other invisible people around her and decided to help. Soon others joined in and '. . . the more people came together . . . the more they could all be seen.' 
This is an important story. It is one that needs to be read to children all over the world.  It is a story of belonging, of hope and community, and truly seeing what and who is around you.
There are few picture books that tackle the issue of poverty as well as this one. Tom Percival has written a book that draws from personal experience, and is poignant and beautifully simple, yet conveys such a powerful message of making a difference in the lives of others by just acknowledging they exist.

Kindness, community, poverty, family, relationships and empathy are all topics that can be explored as teaching ideas through this warm, wonderful, and highly recommended picture book. 

Find out more about Tom Percival

Published in 2021 by Simon & Schuster UK
ISBN 9781471191305 (PB)
Recommended for ages 4 - 8
​

How do you grow your heart? With gratitude. Jack, Lila, Mina, Li Wei and Rosie are back again and this time each reveal how they learn to focus on what they have rather than what they don't have, to say thank you and to be grateful. Each child takes us on their own journey of discovery to find out what gratitude means to them, and how it inspires them to try and make the world a better place.  We learn about the many ways we can show our gratitude and not only help other peoples hearts grow and become filled with joy and happiness, but our own as well.  One of my favourite lines from this gentle and thought provoking story is 'Gratitude is like opening a door, and seeing the world in a new way.' What a simple but beautiful message, and such a wonderful way of encouraging our youngest humans to look after the world, and to connect with and understand each other. Each page is full of bright and intuitive images that perfectly capture the meaning of the text. The smiles on the faces of the children as they experience the joy of being grateful are truly heart warming. 

Back matter includes 'big people' talking about what they are grateful for, discussion questions for children, notes for parents and carers, and tips for nurturing gratitude in children. This is the latest in series of books about values by this superb author/illustrator duo entitled 'Human Kind: A Little Good in a Big World' and would make a wonderful addition to any library collection. 

Wellbeing, mindfulness, being thankful, values, diversity, kindness and cultural understanding are all topics that can be linked as teaching ideas for the classroom from this delightful picture book. 

Find out more about Zanni Louise here.
Find out more about Missy Turner here.
Find out more about the Human Kind series here. 

Published in 2021 by Five Mile Press
ISBN 9781922514455 (HB)
Recommended for ages 3 - 8

The Glint of Gold is there everyday if you look for it. You can see it in the white plum blossoms, the sparkles Jack Frost leaves and the colours of a sunset. You can hear it when you sing or listen to the song of a magpie, smell it when you walk in the bush after the rain, feel it when you dance in bare feet on the grass or snuggle close to someone. Each glint of gold is like a piece of treasure to be thankful for and remembered at the end of the day, knowing there will be more for us to find tomorrow. This is a beautiful, comforting story about taking pleasure in the every day. Kate's lilting text encourages us to slow down and look around at the small things that fill our hearts and bring a smile to our faces when we least expect it. Patricia's illustrations are full of colour and vibrance and with every page turn the reader discovers a new 'glint of gold'. A wonderful story of gratitude and mindfulness, The Glint of Gold is a celebration of the senses and the heart. 
Wellbeing, mindfulness, families and the colours and animals of the Australian bush could all be linked as teaching ideas to this gentle story. With thanks to Books On Tour PR & Marketing and Little Pink Dog Books for access to the digital copy.

Find out more about Kate McGann here. 
​Find out more about Trish here. 

Published 2021 by Little Pink Dog Books. 
ISBN 9780648964032 (HB)
Recommended for ages 4 - 7
​