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Format: Picturebook

Picturebook

Harry and his bucketful of dinosaurs are going on holiday to Australia and can’t wait. But everything is very different down under. There are lots of new sights, sounds and experiences and, without Nan there to comfort them, Harry AND Tyrannosaurus begin to feel a bit homesick. Luckily, a surprise gift makes all the difference and they soon all have a raaah-tastic time!

Picturebook

Travel along Melbourne’s twisting Yarra river in a glorious celebration of indigenous culture and Australia’s unique flora and fauna.

Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly and Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri people Aunty Joy Murphy join to tell the indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra river – from its source to its mouth and from its pre-history to the present day. The writing dazzles with poetic descriptions of the trees, plants and wildlife that thrive in harmony along the iconic waterway, while lush and vibrant acrylic paintings from indigenous illustrator Lisa Kennedy make the mighty Yarra come to life – coursing under a starry sky, drawing people to its sunny shores, mirroring a searing orange sunset.

The end matter includes an author’s note and a glossary of the Woiwurrung words used in the story.

Picturebook

A BEAUTIFULLY EVOCATIVE STORY OF A CHILD’S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND ON BOARD EMPIRE WINDRUSH, FROM AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED, MULTI-AWARD-WINNING POET AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT ILLUSTRATOR.

“you’re stepping into history
bringing your Caribbean eye
to another horizon”

With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation.

Picturebook

Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author’s own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour’s Secret Library is about the power of books to heal, transport and create safe spaces during difficult times. Illustrations by Romanian artist Vali Mintzi superimpose the colorful world the children construct over black-and-white charcoal depictions of the battered city.

Picturebook

A beautifully lyrical and empowering picture book about the importance of dreaming big, from award-winning author Manjeet Mann and the exceptionally talented debut illustrator, Amanda Quartey.

Small lived in a small house.
She had a small room
with a small window
and at night
she slept in a small bed
with a too small blanket.

Despite being small,
Small had BIG dreams.

In Small’s world, everything is small – her shoes, her bed, everything. But her dreams are big. And Small discovers that when you dream big, anything – and everything – can happen.

Small’s Big Dream is the first picture book from Manjeet Mann, with artwork by exciting debut illustrator Amanda Quartey. Manjeet Mann is the author of the Costa Children’s Book Award winning The Crossing and critically acclaimed and Carnegie-shortlisted Run, Rebel.

Picturebook

A heart-warming, fresh and original story about family and friendship from brand-new picture book author, writer and performer Jordan Stephens.

Sunny loves jigsaw puzzles – the bigger the better. When she completes one, she gets a warm, happy honeybee buzz. One day, her Gran gives her a ONE-THOUSAND-PIECE puzzle. Piece after piece, all by herself, she puts together the picture, until … DISASTER! The final piece is missing. Sunny may be small, but she is very determined – so she sets off to find it.

As the day whizzes by in a whirl of new places and friends, Sunny discovers that looking for something is every bit as fun as finding it, and that perhaps the missing piece was there all along …

Picturebook

The sparklingly funny debut picture book from Juno Dawson, bestselling writer and activist.

Sometimes people say to me: ‘What happened to your brother, Bill?’
That’s when I look them in the eye and say: ‘Hun, you need to chill.’

When Bill can’t be found at school one day, the imaginations of the other children run wild. Is he on holiday? Is he lost in the park? Has he been eaten by a shark?! It’s up to Bill’s sister to explain…

Juno Dawson’ debut picture book is a witty and fun-filled rhyming story about family, identity and allyship. Bold, joyful and warm-hearted, its message of love and inclusivity shines through on every page.

Picturebook

A heartfelt and humorous adventure from the bottom of the sea and beyond, following one fish on an epic journey.
Deep, deep, deep under the sea … lives Blobfish! Blobfish loves telling jokes, although he has no one to share them with, so he sets off on an adventure to find a friend. But sometimes friends turn up in the most unexpected places, even at the bottom of the ocean. This heartfelt and humorous story gently introduces children to themes of friendship, belonging and the issue of plastics in our oceans.

Picturebook

Jacki’s mama has a rare condition. She is slowly losing her hearing. Together, they are learning Sign Language so that they’ll always be able to tell each other everything. But as Mama’s world becomes quieter, Jacki’s remains full of sound, especially on Music Appreciation Fridays. How can Jacki enjoy listening to music when her mama can no longer hear it? A heartfelt story, inspired by the author’s childhood, about a young girl coming to terms with her mother’s hearing loss and finding new ways to experience the world, together.

Picturebook

Santa meets Cinderella in this funny, fractured fairy tale by bestselling author Suzy Senior (Octopants, Unicorn Club, The Hotel for Bugs).

Oh no! It’s a chilly, frosty Christmas Eve and Santa’s hurt his back. He cannot fly the sleigh or even lift his sack! Is Christmas ruined? Not if Cinderella has anything to do with it! Leaving her mean step-sisters behind, she offers to give Santa a hand, and – along the way – travels the world. But Santa has one more gift in his sleigh. Could it be the chance for Cinderella to write her own happily-ever-after?

Packed with a rollicking rhyme and hilarious illustrations from Lucy Semple (Watch Out, Wolf! There’s a Baddie in Your Book) this fab feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale challenges stereotypes and is a joy to read aloud. Fans of fractured fairy tales like Little Red by Bethan Woollvin, Fearless Fairy Tales by Konnie Huq, James Kay and Rikin Parekh, and The Fairytale Hairdresser and Father Christmas by Abie Longstaff and Lauren Beard, will love this joyous story full of festive magic and wonder.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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