A Celebration of Dads

Aug9

My Dad Makes the World Go Around and Around

Maddy Mara

Andrew Joyner

HarperCollins, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460767146

Every Day Is Special with Dad

Sarah Ayoub

Kate Moon

HarperCollins, 2026

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460765654

The Thing About Dads

Deborah Frenkel

Daniel Gray-Barnett

Thames & Hudson, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760765194

In Catholic countries in Europe, a special day for fathers has been celebrated since medieval times with the Feast Day of Saint Joseph held to honour Joseph as the Father of baby Jesus and his example of ideal fatherhood. In the US, the first special day is acknowledged as being held in 1908 to recognise the role of the fathers killed in a mining accident in West Virginia, and while people like Sonora Smart Dodd campaigned to have fathers recognised in a similar way to Mother’s Day, it wasn’t until 1966 that President Lyndon B. Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in the US and issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers.

Meanwhile, in Australia, even though there were moves towards such a day in the early 1900s, the idea was met with derision because many thought it was either unnecessary or undermined a father’s assumed “supremacy” as head of the household and there were many sarcastic articles and poems published in various newspapers suggesting things such as “the scarlet geranium, because it resembles the bloom of his nose; the cornflower, to match the hue of his language when his liver is bad; or the mignonette, in sweet remembrance of his Saturday night breath” in response to the carnation being selected as the floral emblem for mothers. Nevertheless, other attempts to establish a special day followed and in the late 1930s acceptance gradually grew and in 1957 The Father’s Day Council of Australia was established. Nowadays, the first Sunday in September is recognised as the day we remember and honour our dads, and with is comes the publication of books that help our youngest readers realise and appreciate just how special their fathers are. This year is no different.

My Dad Makes the World Go Around and Around is an energetic, exuberant rhyming yarn about the things the little cat’s dad does from making the sun rise each day to setting it each night and making the moon shine!

There is nothing on earth my dad cannot do…

Every Day Is Special with Dad also celebrates that special relationship but this time it is from the perspective of many sons and daughters and how their dad is a role model for them.

I love all the moments I have with you…

The Thing about Dads is in a similar vein but with a more humorous touch – “The thing about dads is, they’ll snore through the night, But as soon as you need them, they’re on like a light” – but I particularly like the line that “some dads are born and some dads are made” so that this one encompasses all those non-biological dads who play such crucial roles in little ones’ lives.

Some dads are born and some dads are made.

So much has changed for the better about fathers, their role in parenting and their relationships with their children since those early days when a special day to honour them was first proposed and anything we can do to help those just getting to know the special place their dad holds appreciate it better can only strengthen those ties. Even though each of these stories has a common theme, each is unique in its own way – just as our dads are!!

Valé to my grandfather who was born on Father’s Day (if there had been such a thing) in 1896 and my dad who passed away on Father’s Day 1988. You live on in my son who wasn’t born on Father’s Day 1974!

The Festival of Ice and Snow

Aug7

The Festival of Ice and Snow

The Festival of Ice and Snow

Angie Cui

Anna Wilson

UQP, 2026

40pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9780702269264

It’s winter in Australia, and it’s a busy time for those of us who live in mountain country as we watch the weather forecasts and hope for dumps of snow. The traffic to the snowfields is unending, the footpaths are full of people dressed in their winter woolly warms, and the excitement is palpable, particularly amongst the children who may be experiencing a cold, -12º degree day for the first time, let alone getting to play in the white stuff that dreams and magic are made of.

But imagine if you lived somewhere where winters are much more severe, where temperatures plummet for months on end so that -12º is the daily maximum, the rivers freeze completely and the snow and ice is so thick that massive ice castles, giant slides, tall towers and wondrous sculptures can be created from it, and they are lit, firstly by the late afternoon sun and then by the brilliance of neon lighting. So it was for the author as a child and in this beautifully illustrated memoir she relives her childhood adventures at the Harbin Ice Festival with her cousin and her grandfather. From slipping on the slushy snow to viewing the sculptures, racing down the giant slides that are over 500 metres long, playing an ice piano with their feet, eating special ice creams and even taking Grandpa on his first-ever ferris wheel ride, the children have the greatest fun and their joy jumps off the page.

A peek inside…

Written in both English and Chinese and with extensive, in-depth teachers’ notes to help explore the story, its characters and setting, and its artwork further, this is one to share – not just to explore the delights of winter in another part of the world but also to encourage children to recall the special times they have had with special relatives, the memories made and the traditions begun, wherever they may be and whatever winter might look like for them.

Walk down the main street of my nearby town any winter weekend, particularly in the school holidays, and listen… the chatter is all about the excitement of the adventure about to be had, or the one that has been had, and you begin to really appreciate why the fun is in the experiences and the people sharing it rather than fancy gear or expensive accommodation. It’s the celebration of family that’s important and this book does that to perfection, showing that kids are kids everywhere.

Girls Like

Jul30

Girls Like

Girls Like

Katrina Germein

Deb Hudson

MidnightSun, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781922858726

Girls like…
Two wheels Go wheels No wheels Slow wheels…
Kind friends Loud friends Tough friends Proud friends

In a series of joyous, colourful vignettes accompanied by two-syllable phrases that provide the bounce and enhance the energy, the creators of this new release take the reader on a action-filled journey through the neighbourhood and the day of so many girls, each doing their own thing, following their own interests and just being themselves. It celebrates their uniqueness, their individuality, their diversity and their acceptance of their differences that doesn’t stop them being friends.

A peek inside…

At the same time, the final pages encourage them to go forth and shine and show the world who they are, what they like, and what they can do.

Now’s the time for you to grow, girls. Time to shine, girls. Time to GO , girls!

In an interview with author Katrina Germein, she says the book was inspired by “a conversation with a parent about her seven-year-old daughter’s choice to have short hair. Apparently, the short haircut was a constant source of conversation and confusion among teachers, peers and strangers. Not only did people assume this child was a boy, but they continually questioned why she had short hair; they needed a reason, a justification. I was surprised by how strongly this societal expectation still seems to stand today. I mean, really? It made me kind of cross. I wanted to write something fun that affirms choice.”

I have to admit that I would have had a similar reaction – why, in this day and age, are there still expectations and boundaries placed on people because of their genitalia? IMO, this book could easily have been entitled “Boys Like” and celebrating the fact that we can all like and do different things yet still be great mates. But it seems that society is circling back into those misogynistic viewpoints of “pink babies” and “blue babies” so not only do girls need reassurance that they can do and be anything, but boys need to reminded of it too. Perhaps, there would be a lot less anxiety and mental health issues among our young if they were allowed to be who they are, and accept that whatever that is, it is enough. Regardless of whether they choose “stage fun, word fun, horse, fun bird fun” or “camp nights, song nights, feast nights, long nights” they are fine just as they are, and, indeed, it is the diverse threads that make up the tapestry of society.

Whether this book is used to help little ones be comfortable in their own skin and with their choices and dreams; or teach those who may have a different viewpoint; or begin conversations about stereotypes and generalisations, it is one that all children, unencumbered by the yet unlearned prejudices of adults, will understand and appreciate. It has a place in every library’s collection, but what a shame it still has to have that place.

In the meantime, let’s celebrate Bianca Adler who has become the youngest Australian to summit Mt Everest – my mum’s mate Sir Edmund Hillary would have been thrilled – and, using the excellent teaching notes, particularly those that focus on the child’s sense of identity, start our own celebration and affirmation of all the amazing things that our young people have achieved regardless of their gender and inspire understanding and aspirations.

Rainbow Street

Jul25

Rainbow Street

Rainbow Street

R.W.R McDonald

Kelly Canby

Larrikin House, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781923345171

The folk who live in Rainbow Street are having a street party to celebrate Granny’s 90th birthday, beginning by erecting a table so long that astronauts will see it from space. It’s not the first time they have all gathered together and the preparations are as much fun as the actual event as each family shares their special food and reminisces about previous occasions, and particularly, Granny’s antics. But as party time draws near, and the seats around the table are beginning to fill, where is Granny?

But as well as honouring Granny’s 90th birthday, it is also a celebration of the diversity of the people who make up the neighbourhood – the various sorts of families, ages, cultures, heritages and lifestyles that make the community as open-armed and open-minded as it is. As each brings their particular and unique thing to the table, the result is a colourful, harmonious, symbiotic whole that is the epitome of connection and inclusion.

With illustrations as joyful and as energetic as the occasion, and the story told by Cherry, herself part of a complex family structure, the reader is invited into the story in a way that makes them feel part of the event, rather than an observer–” there’s always room for one more at the table” – and indeed, the seat next to Granny’s is reserved for them. What might they add to the festivities if they were able to join in? If there were to be a street party in their street, who might be some of those who would come and what might they contribute? Because although the focal point of the story is Granny’s 90th, her irrepressible spirit and Cherry’s special relationship with her, the underlying hum is much broader than that.

A peek inside…

In an interview with the author, he was asked, ” Why do you feel it’s important for young readers to understand, explore, or relate to diverse family dynamics and cultures?” His response was, “Stories help build empathy and understanding. By showing a rainbow family as part of a vibrant, multicultural community, Rainbow Street reflects the reality of many children’s lives while opening a window for others. When young readers see themselves as well as different families and cultures portrayed positively, it fosters respect, curiosity, and a sense of connection.”

And while that is the perfect summation of one aspect of this story, one doesn’t have to spend long with a group of children in a playground, particularly a public park where they do not know each other, to see how quickly they meld together into a circle of kids having fun together with no regard for anything but the joy of the moment. So perhaps the greatest lessons could be learned by those adults sharing it, particularly as one reviewer noted that “for many faith-based schools this [story] will not sit with [their] ethos or guidelines” and for teacher librarians with purchasing power “to be mindful of that.” For some of those with the power to persuade and shape others’ beliefs and opinions not to embrace diversity in all its forms and inclusivity as our children do, is concerning. IMO, now, more than ever, seems to be the time when we each need to reach out and wrap our arms around our neighbours – even, no – especially – if we don’t know them yet.

But if that’s not feasible, just exploring who’s who in the classroom, delving into their heritage and history, traditions, stories and food, family structures and so on would be a great start, and make this the ideal story and activity to make Harmony Week more than just one week a year. it is timeless.

If ever the saying about it taking a village to raise a child were to be embodied in a story, this would be it – and what a wonderful village Cherry is being fortunate to be raised in!

Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes

Jul16

Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes

Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes

Justin Somper

A & U Children’s, 2026

304pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761182242

Hot on the heels of the release of The Unlucky Pirate, the story of real-life pirate Captain William Kidd, and the re-release of The Smuggler’s Curse, a more traditional tale of piratical swashbuckling and derring-do, comes the third in this trilogy about pirates that includes New Kid on Deck and Missing at Sea. But the point of difference with this series is that it is set in 2507 – far into the future when the oceans have risen but essentially the premise of good vs evil, the action, the suspense and the plot intrigues of all good pirate adventures are all still there.

In this final episode, the three friends go on separate quests – Neo Splice has left his friends behind at Pirate Academy and is aboard the legendary Brave as the Waves. Together with Captain December Wilde and her faithful four-legged companion Pickle, he is following a mysterious trail of clues left by his late mother getting closer to revealing his unique destiny.

Back at Pirate Academy, Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock are fighting to understand what makes their friends, family and now a favourite teacher defect to the rebellious League of True Pirates. So when Jasmine launches a maverick sailing mission to reunite with her father in the hope of finding out more, her friend Jacoby is right by her side. But a surprise twist sees the two friends separated and behind enemy lines. Can Jasmine and Jacoby help the Pirate Federation stop the League of True Pirates from fulfilling its secret mission? Can Neo harness the magical power of the Sword of Echoes to learn secrets that will help him fulfil his destiny?

Survival for all three young pirates-in-training will depend on everything they have learnt at Pirate Academy. However, Neo, Jasmine and Jacoby will soon discover they each have far more power than they realised to change the course of events …

Continuing the themes of co-operation, teamwork, resilience, backing themselves and each other which are as important 500 years from now as they are today, and the development of the individual characters as they learn and grow through their studies at the Pirate Academy, the tests and challenges they face and the adventures they have had so far, this is a series best read in order but for those for whom it is a new discovery, it is prefaced with a summary of the story so far so even they can join the adventure immediately.

I deliberately kept this series aside until I had all three episodes so I could give it to the local school complete so that the young, independent readers could indulge themselves for some time over the cold, long, winter nights, and it seems to have been a good decision as it has proven very popular. There’s a waitlist and extra copies on order! And, even though this was originally billed as a trilogy, the ending suggests that there may be even further episodes to come, so those readers – some of them just discovering the joy of reading and the power of following a series – will be thrilled.

Grow

Jul14

Grow

Grow

Jess McGeachin

A & U Children’s, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182389

It may be the middle of winter and, in the southern regions of the country at least, where branches are bare, grass is brown and ponds are frozen over early in the morning, it might appear that everything is sleeping waiting for the first touch of spring sunshine.

But in fact, there is much that is happening unseen as flowers, fungi, moss, corals, seaweeds, succulents, grasses, trap plants, trees are all doing what they need to do to survive and thrive during this time in preparation for that vernal burst of growth.

In this book you’ll find lots of things that grow
Branching ever upward, or tangled deep below …

And so through poetic text and stunning, lifelike illustrations, young readers are introduced to the unfurling of ancient ferns, the vibrant colours of the flowers, the silence of detritus-trapping sponges, and some of Nature’s other marvels as they continue their cycle of life. Not only do they continue their own journeys but they also enable others to continue theirs – the colours, scents and shapes of the flowers are not just there for humans to admire…

A peek inside…

But, embedded in the words about the diversity and wonder of what is happening around us, is a subtle message about embracing our own growth – not just our physical height and girth, but the intangible mental, emotional and spiritual growth that occurs because of the people we meet, the things we do and experience and our responses to them. Just like his previous work Kind, this emphasises the lessons we can learn from Nature but unlike her creations that have evolved and adapted to their situations and circumstances over time, as humans we can choose how we grow.

Grow hardy as a cactus to thrive in any place
With a suit of spiky spines, you’ll always get some space…

Grow sturdy like the trees with every know and scar
Stand tall and show the world just how strong you are…

Whether this is shared as an introduction to the continuing cycles of living things, or the adaptations they have evolved to cope with the changes the species have experienced or as a way to show little ones that they, and their friends, are also growing and changing in subtle ways, it is a gentle reminder that nothing stays static, and that we can look within and beyond ourselves to make our lives and those of those around us better.

Grow together like the fungi and live a life entwined
Stay close to those around you (the strangest you can find).

Sketch

Jun10

Sketch

Sketch

Jacques Goldstyn

Translated by Helen Mixter

Greystone Kids, 2026

88pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781778402777

From the moment Sketch was born, it was clear that he was a little different. For although he looked the same, right from the get-go, he was “livelier, more rambunctious, spontaneous and a little bit wild”. And in “a perfect town where there was a place for everything and everything in its place” and even the people and geese walked in straight lines, being different in any way makes you stand out and those around you are disconcerted, if not afraid, perhaps even a target as Sketch discovered on his first day of school when the principal automatically assumed he was a trouble-maker because he was a bit scruffier than the other new students.

In a place that values conservatism and conformity, it’s tricky being innovative and imaginative. He draws when he is supposed to write, and in art class where he is happiest, his drawings were always different. But even though he had the love and support of his parents and his art teacher, he still felt different, misunderstood and alone. Until the day he goes to high school where most of the students walk around like robots staring at their phones except for…

A peek inside…

Told as a narrative with all the action and emotion contained in the illustrations, this is a finding-your-tribe story that will give hope to those like Sketch who not only think and feel differently from those around them, but who feel isolated because of them. There is strength to be gained from Sketch’s remaining true to himself, particularly in the somewhat surprising ending when instead of wanting to leave the town, he knows that he is needed there.

Although the stereotypes of principals and school-marms who try to shape Sketch into being like the other children have largely disappeared from schools where diversity is now celebrated, there is still an element of society that not only values “the old school” but seeks to maintain, even return, to it (as current political trends show) and anyone like Sketch is viewed with suspicion, if not openly shunned. So, while this is billed as a book for young children, IMO its greatest value belongs in sharing it with older children who can better understand its message, begin conversations about how they perceive and treat those who see the world differently, and consider and discuss why Sketch felt there was a need for him to stay in the town. And if they are among those who isolate and shun, how do their words and actions impact those around them, particularly the shunned? What if they were the ones wearing Sketch’s shoes? Author Goldstyn is a French-Canadian political cartoonist so what might his underlying message have been, beyond that of accepting and celebrating neurodiversity and being true to yourself, if, indeed, there is one? Why might he have chosen the picture book medium to convey that message?

The best picture books always take the reader beyond the words and pictures on the page, and this is one of those.

Trickshot Harri the Cheetah World Beater

Jun3

Trickshot Harri the Cheetah World Beater

Trickshot Harri the Cheetah World Beater

Adam Jackson & Adrian Lloyd

Jake A. Minton

Little Book Press, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781923141612

Since Trickshot Harri joined the Jungle FC, his football skills have taken the team “from mid-table battlers to their supporters’ dream”. But now it is time to face the top-of-the-table Safari Stars whom they have never been able to beat and

“With the sun sinking low and the mist rolling in, a footballing masterpiece is about to begin.

In the golden savannah are lines drawn for a field, where two fur-midable teams will soon be revealed.”

In the first half, Harri is the star he is expected to be, dominating the field and taking the team to a 4-0 lead. But, even though the fans are screaming, Harri’s father is not impressed and pulls him to one side to give him some advice. However, Harri’s ego has grown as big as the team’s following and he dismisses his dad’s words until…

This is another fast-paced story in the Animal World Cup series which includes the 2026 National Simultaneous Storytime story Luna Roo, the Kangaroo Baller . Clever rhyme, wordplay and energetic vibrant pictures carry the action along, but underlying Harri’s incredible ball skills is an important message that Harri has to learn. It could also be a salutary lesson for the reader as well, whether they see themselves as the star like Harri or wish they were. Whether it is their foot or another’s that makes that final contact to score a goal, everyone has a part to play, and a job to do and their contribution, whether offence or defence, was critical. And even though this story’s focus is soccer, it is a tenet that applies to every team sport. Big names might get the credit, but little names provide the platform for them to shine.

With its release coinciding with the build-up to this year’s FIFA World Cup beginning on June 12, this is another great story to add to the collection. Teachers’ notes linked to the Australian English curriculum are available, but its applicability goes well beyond that as its intended audience prepare to join the hundreds of thousands of young players preparing to play organised team sports for the first time.

Connected

May3

Connected

Connected: Networks for Kids

R. A. Stephens

Tamlyn Teow

Wombat Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761113178

Chloe has a dot on her shirt called a node. So do her friends and family, and all the other people depicted on the end pages of this unique, informative book that is designed to help young children understand a host of quite complex, theoretical mathematical concepts, particularly networks.

Chloe explains that the dot represents her and she is directly connected to her brother Jack and sister Jasmine, not just by blood but by invisible lines known by the experts as edges or links. But, in addition, Chloe has friends she is connected to, as do Jack and Jasmine and now, instead of just a family, there is a network…

A peek inside…

Long, long ago when I taught in a school where children were streamed from Kindergarten according to their ability in maths and literacy, a practice I abhorred, I was given the “bottom” maths group, a class of children who saw themselves as failures in the subject even though they were only seven years old!!! A huge rethink about how to turn this around was required and so the accepted traditional, theoretical, compete-the-workbook page was replaced with practical activities that directly related to the children so they could see how maths had meaning for them (and led to Maths About Me , Maths About My Year and the Teachers’ Ideas Books for the first three years of the Eureka Maths scheme.) It was also a turning point for the students who not only began to understand the concepts and appreciate their relevance, but started to turn their personal attitudes towards maths in particular and school in general around – I know this because one of those students is married to my son!

Therefore, the practical nature of Stephens’ explanations and Teow’s illustrations really resonated with me. How much easier would it be to teach graph theory and all the terminology associated with it if we started with each student building a basic network using their family and friends as the starting point?

But while the reader is given some extra maths facts in the final pages, and teachers could be inspired to try the mapping activities in the classroom, it has a much broader application that taps into student well-being, because by starting with our people and then expanding that to their people. students can see that they are never alone, that they have connections everywhere and those connections can lead to even more until there is a global network! It’s a great way to help children understand how communities form, how they are intertwined and interdependent and indeed, how many networks they actually belong to. In fact, Stephens dedicates the book to “anyone who has ever felt alone”, especially relevant in a world that has never been so connected yet disconnected at the same time.

Whether this is used in the maths classroom to turn the abstract into concrete, or to show how there is always someone we can turn to, it is a most valuable resource and its originality is outstanding. It would have been a brilliant support to the class of 87.

The Prime Minister Problem

Apr28

The Prime Minister Problem

The Prime Minister Problem

Brenton Cullen

Riveted Press, 2026

192pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781764256728

So many of us know Wren – the quiet, shy, introverted child who seeks solace in the library because it’s safer than the playground; the child who reads the Guinness Book of Records so they can say something but is never asked to contribute; the child who is always the last to be picked when it comes to team tasks; the child whose mum loves him dearly but is so busy working two jobs to make ends meet she never has time; the child who desperately wants a friend but whose only friend is his grandmother with whom he shares a love of nature and birdwatching… The invisible child who begins to think he is unworthy of attention, let alone love.

But then his teacher Miss Peg tells them that the term’s focus will be the government and particularly the prime minister, their roles and responsibilities and the class will work in teams to present a speech. Could being teamed with Tamara, the kid new to the school and the town, be a turning point for Wren? No- it seems not for she quickly sizes up the atmosphere and joins the hurt-you-before-you-hurt-me in-crowd who relentlessly tease Wren, before they discover her vulnerabilities. But Wren is used to disappointment and goes it alone, again, convinced that if the PM’s job is to help everyone, surely she will help him save the animals from the current bushfires. So he writes to her and then waits and waits and waits for a reply…

However, while he is waiting a bigger, more personal problem arises – his beloved Grandma has a stroke and is going to need full-time care. Problem is, there is no full-time care available in his small rural town and she is going to have to go to a nursing home in the city three hours away where she knows no one and visiting is going to be hard. Surely that is a problem that the prime minister would respond to – but another letter to her goes unanswered and even an attempt to travel to Canberra is thwarted.

And then Wren has an idea – one so big and important that from deep within he finds the courage to put himself in the spotlight, overcome his fear of speaking to groups, . An idea that finally gets the PM’s attention, but by them it doesn’t matter because his thinking has gone viral and the whole country is behind him already…

This is a powerful, read-beyond-lights-out story that is going to resonate with so many readers whether they see themselves as Wren, Tamara, or one of their school’s in-crowd, or even know Grandma or Mr Bright. In a digitally connected society that has never been more disconnected, loneliness is rife particularly as families and friends are so scattered, yet is masked by that prevalent unwillingness to show our deepest fears and feelings, in case we be judged in a world that thrives on likes and the approval of others.

Few viewers who watched it will forget the warmth, charm and life-changing events of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds. and this is a story in the same vein for younger independent readers. Cullen has touched a hidden nerve, one that the Prime Minister can’t fix, but which one child’s hope, love, courage and determination does, and which may even spark a similar solution in the reader’s realm. One child can spark change and while helping others, help themselves too – not just growing a friendship group, but self-confidence and self-worth too.

Cullen has crafted an authentic novel that not only reflects real life but also addresses the “Now I know this, what next?” issue. At a time when every problem is blamed on the Government and therefore should be fixed by them, Wren (and the reader) learn that often the greatest solutions come from within those most affected.

The Bottom Shelf

Great books for little people

Archives

A Celebration of Dads

The Festival of Ice and Snow

Girls Like

Rainbow Street

Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes

Grow

Sketch

Trickshot Harri the Cheetah World Beater

Connected

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