2019 KIDS BOOKS OF THE MONTH
FEBRUARY BOOK OF THE MONTH Dippy’s Big Day Out | Jackie French & Bruce Whatley | $24.99 | HarperCollins | Ages 3+ All Dippy wants to do is sleep. And eat. Then sleep some more. This shouldn’t be too hard, but when dinosaurs are involved who knows what mischief will occur! Because Dippy isn’t just an ordinary wombat, he’s a diprotodon, the biggest, friendliest, sleepiest wombat who ever lived—100,000 years ago! This wonderful story about the largest, oldest wombat to walk ancient Australia is inventive, hilarious and full of mayhem. It will have you clutching your stomach in laughter. — Olivia
MARCH BOOK OF THE MONTH Let’s Go | Charlotte Dematons | $19.99 | Thames & Hudson | Ages 3+ Who knew going to the corner shop could be so exciting? Through deserts and forests, over rivers and oceans… Watch out for the sharks. And the sleeping giant! AND THE DRAGON! The boy in the book needs your help, reader. Quickly, or he might never make it! Dematons has crafted a gorgeous tale of exploration that lures the reader into its magical world with vivid imagery and an exciting tale. Let’s Go is engaging, quirky and offers a different perspective on storytelling. — Olivia
APRIL BOOKS OF THE MONTH One Tree | Christopher Cheng & Bruce Whatley | $24.99 | Penguin Random House | Ages 3+ Growing a small tree from a seedling found in the busy marketplace enriches one family and the whole neighbourhood as nature reasserts itself in the big city. Cheng’s beautiful story about love and the power of nature to heal lives, with Whatley’s charming lino-cut style illustrations, is one to share and enjoy. — Olivia Wilam: A Birrarung Story | Aunty Joy Murphy, Andrew Kelly & Lisa Kennedy | $24.99 | Walker Books | Ages 5+ A stunning picture book about the Birrarung, the river we now know as the Yarra. Full of beautiful illustrations and a story that incorporates a gentle history of the winding river, this perfectly weaves English and Woiwurrung, the traditional language of the Kluin Nation, into a book that everyone will love. — Olivia
MAY BOOKS OF THE MONTH Moonwalkers | Mark Greenwood & Terry Denton | $19.99 | Penguin Random House | Ages 5+ With the world glued to their screens during the moon-landing, three siblings on the other side of the world decide they want to travel to space too. Moonwalkers is a touching book about the power of imagination, friendship and dreaming big. — Olivia How It Feels to Float | Helena Fox | $17.99 | Pan Macmillan | Ages 14+ An extraordinary, searing tale about mental health, grief and growing up. Biz’s life is going just fine, just like a teenager’s should... until suddenly it’s not. Heartbreaking, delicate and brimming with hope, this novel is going to be hailed as an Australian YA favourite for years to come. — Olivia
JUNE BOOKS OF THE MONTH Leonard Doesn’t Dance | Frances Watts & Judy Watson | $24.99 | HarperCollins | Ages 3+ All the birds are excited about the Big Beaky Bird Ball, but not Leonard. You see, Leonard thinks he can’t dance, so he doesn’t try. This is a brilliant, hilarious picture book that will leave you tapping your toes and dancing away your woes! — Kate & Olivia Young Dark Emu: A Truer History | Bruce Pascoe | $24.99 | Magabala Books | Ages 8+ From the author of the award-winning Dark Emu comes this new edition which uses simpler language, clear explanations and gorgeous illustrations to uncover the truer history of Aboriginal Australia, and the bigotry that has underpinned European misconceptions of indigenous culture, making it essential reading for Australians of all ages. — Lucy H
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