Our Kids Books of the Month 2019

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

Fashionista | Maxine Beneba Clarke | $19.99 | Hachette | Ages 4+ A cheerfully illustrated picture book on the joys and woes of fashion that will bring a smile to your face. So often clothing can be trivialised or scoffed at, but Clarke celebrates the opportunity to display individuality and personality through clothing. — Olivia Detention | Tristan Bancks | $16.99 | Penguin Random House | Ages 10+ Detention is a stunning book that explores what friendship, family and safety means during times of stress and displacement. This gripping novel will have you questioning what you would do if you were in a similar situation... — Olivia

AUGUST BOOKS OF THE MONTH

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! | Mo Willems | $16.99 | Walker Books | Ages 3+ Pigeon is back! It’s been FIVE years since we last saw Pigeon and it’s time for him to go to school, but Pigeon is NOT keen. He needs convincing. Willems is one of a kind and it’s a total joy to revisit this riotously hilarious series. — Kate It Sounded Better In My Head | Nina Kenwood | $19.99 | Text | Ages 14+ This book is a gorgeous, messy and very real depiction of what life verging on adulthood actually is like. Filled with moments of happiness, tears, love and friendship, this is one of those reads you won’t forget. — Ayesha

SEPTEMBER BOOKS OF THE MONTH

Don’t Worry, Little Crab | Chris Haughton | $24.99 | Walker Books | Ages 3+ Haughton is one of those rare creators who gets it right every time. My son loves all of his books. When he was two he enjoyed the saturated and contrasting colours and now at four he enjoys reading the subtle, clever rhymes. The story sends a joyful message as crab encourages little crab to be brave. — Dean Welcome to Country | Marcia Langton | $29.99 | Hardie Grant | Ages 11+ This youth edition of the bestselling and award-winning Welcome to Country by highly respected Indigenous Elder Marcia Langton gives fascinating insights into Indigenous languages, customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, cultural awareness and the future and rightful place in the nation of Indigenous Australians. — Kay

OCTOBER BOOKS OF THE MONTH

Summer Time | Antonia Pesenti & Hilary Bell | $24.99 | NewSouth Books | Ages 2+ Thoughtful and charming with splashes of humour, the creators of Alphabetical Sydney reminisce on a child’s experience of the summer holidays—from wrinkly swimming fingers to mozzie bites, each captured moment is such a delight. The collages teeming with rhymes are exquisite and will capture the imagination of both children and adults. — Dean The Glimme | Emily Rodda & Marc McBride | $34.99 | Scholastic | Ages 10+ I am, and always will be, a diehard Emily Rodda fan (Deltora Quest was the go-to series for many years in my childhood) so I was particularly excited about The Glimme. The imagery is gorgeously intricate and, alongside the mysterious narrative, it transports you to other fantastic worlds. An ode to imagination in all of its forms. — Lucy H.

NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH

Cooee Mittigar: A Story on Darug Songlines | Jasmine Seymour & Leanne Mulgo Watson | $24.99 | Magabala Books | Ages 3+ What an interesting and beautifully illustrated picture book, written in Darug language with English and an extensive glossary throughout. Children will be taken on a journey through culture, land and songlines. There’s lots for children to learn here in this gentle story about how Darug people read the seasons, know when it is time to hunt and when it’s time to rest. It is also an appeal to remember, offering new ways of seeing and reading the lands of the greater Sydney area. — Kay