You're Too Little by Katie Stewart

You have big eyes to see in the dark.

You have strong paws to hold on.

And you have a super special tail.

You have want it takes. Why not give it a go?

Bookseller blurb: Pygmy Possum wants to climb far, far up into the trees to taste the sweet blossom nectar. But everyone keeps telling her the same thing- 'It's very high. You're too little. You might fall.' Are they right, or will she find a way? This is a gentle tale of believing in yourself in the face of others' doubt and recognising your own strengths.

The main character in this story of bravery and confidence is a Western Pygmy Possum. Here is a photo:

Image source: Australian Geographic

Books with a repeated refrain are perfect for preschoolers either to read beside your own child or with a group. I like the way the Australian animals in this book really look like real animals and also the choices of animals are perfect because many of these will be less well known to young readers and so might spark some curiosity. 

Image Source: WA Museum

Katie Stewart reads her book in this video. Here are the teaching notes from the publisher. As background reading for teachers or if you set a research task for older students you might like to read more about each of the Australian animals in this story:

• Western Pygmy Possum
• Numbat
• Brushtail Possum
• Gecko
• Weebill

This is a Weebill - I had not heard of this bird

Image Source: Birdlife

This is a gentle tale of believing in yourself in the face of others’ doubt and recognising your own strengths, to have faith in yourself regardless of others’ opinions and develop resilience, perseverance and that inner strength that allows risk-taking as well as dealing with success and failure. The Bottom Shelf

Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this book which was published on 29th July 2025. This book reminded me a little of Puffling. If you are talking about growing up, confidence, perseverance, self belief and 'the right time' you could read these two books side by side.

The story is set at night because these animals are nocturnal but that gives rise to my only tiny criticism of this book - I found myself wanting a break from the strong saturated blue of the night sky which is used on every page. 

This book is part of a series:

Katie Stewart is an author and illustrator. Born in the north of England, she came to Australia at the age of nine. She started her working life as an archaeologist and ethnohistorian, went on to teaching and then to being a mother. She later worked in a school library, but her lifelong dream was to be what she is now. She is married to a farmer, has three children, and her great love of animals means she has a lot of pets and takes lots of nature photos. In her spare time, she tries to play the harp or wanders the countryside with a metal detector amusing the neighbours and occasionally finding an interesting piece of history. Her books have been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020 and 2021) and shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards (2022).

I am Nefertiti by Annemarie Anang illustrated by Natelle Quek

This is a book that should be shared with new teachers. It is SO important to acknowledge any child in your class or care by using and pronouncing their name correctly. I am Nefertiti is a US book but these issues also apply here in our Multicultural community. I work as a volunteer in a Sydney children's hospital and I find the names of the children so interesting mainly because in all of my former schools we only had very small multicultural representation. I also well remember when I had a student at one of my schools with the Welsh name Myfanwy. 

Nefertiti is a beautiful name but I guess it is not one you hear often except in reference to that famous Egyptian queen from long ago but that does not excuse the ignorant teacher in this book. Nefertiti is a terrific drummer. She joins the class band but when the teacher shortens her name to Nef her confidence and sparkle shrink. 

"Every time (the teacher) chanted Nef, Nefertiti shrank. She shrank and shrank, until she was jus the size of your thumb."

Luckily one of the kids in the band understands what has happened and she tells Miss Potts to say Nefertiti's full name - and to say it loudly and confidently.

I am Nefertiti is a title from the Empathy Lab collection of 2024. You can see the author reading her book here. 

Here is an interview with the illustrator Natelle Quek.

I am Nefertiti is a heartwarming, joyful story for everyone about identity, being proud of who you are, whatever your ethnicity and culture, belonging within a diverse community and about recognising the importance each player has in the bigger team. It is an ideal story for classroom discussions in Early Years and KS1, book group settings and at home around the themes of identify, self-confidence and peer support. It’s an important reminder about the importance of people’s names and identity. Perfect for younger children aged 3-6 years with appealing illustrations by Natalie Quek, I Am Nefertiti is a charming story about celebrating our names and identities and having the confidence to speak out about feelings. Just Imagine

Companion books:

Gymnastica Fantastica by Briony Stewart

 

The show is beginning. The little girl has her audience (her dog) and her performance outfit (star top and shorts). She also has her rainbow hoops and long rainbow ribbon. Oh and lots of things to climb and bounce on. 

"Razzley-dazzley, ribbons twirls. wriggly rainbows in circles and swirls, whizzy and dizzy and - whoops now I'm landing onto the wall (they call it 'handstanding')."

The book abounds in exuberant energy and the happiness of this young performer is sure to make you smile a huge smile. I love the ribbon filled end papers, the patience of the shaggy dog and most of all the page where she tumbles through the rings and makes a perfect landing - I can hear the crowd clapping!

The language in this book is perfect. Quick come and see has a powerful immediacy about it - you just HAVE to turn the page. Here are a few phrases:

• bouncing, cat-pouncing, right up to the moon
• loops with some hoops
• backward roll, forward roll, sausage roll too
• I can twizzle and twist

This book has been shortlisted by the CBCA in the Early Childhood picture book category.

Here are the judges' comments: An enticing invitation opens this vibrant picture book, as a vivacious young child confidently demonstrates their gymnastic prowess, bouncing, cartwheeling and flipping their way across the pages. Their dog, a silent but invested observer throughout, provides a lovely contrast. This book conveys so much energy and life which children will connect with immediately. The young child’s voice permeates the tight, joyful rhyming text which includes a rich assortment of verbs, nouns and adjectives. Pencil, ink, crayon, gouache, and digital illustrations are filled with zoom in action and movement matching the equally energetic text. The endpapers are perfect bookends, as twirling ribbons, held in the child’s left at the start and right hand at the end, appear to capture the story. 

The rhyming text and boisterous, colourful imagery help to express the enthusiasm and liveliness of any child as new abilities emerge. This is a joy to read. It will remind adults of when they were young and excitable, and shows kids that it can be fun to try new skills, and that it is okay if it doesn’t work out the first time round. Perfect for ages 3+. Readings Melbourne

I previously mentioned this book in a post about Briony Stewart. Here is her website.  My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a terrific Pinterest collection of books that celebrate dance. 

Bear and Duck are friends by Sue deGennaro

When you share this book with your young reading companion or a group of young readers either in a preschool or with a Kindergarten group in your library begin by talking about the implied conversation on the cover of Bear and Duck are friends.

Why is bear laughing? What is duck doing? Do you think they have known each other for a long time? Why do you think this? Duck is wearing clothes but Bear is not - does this change your impression of these two characters? How do we know these two friends are different from one another? 

Now turn to the half title page. Duck is pushing his friend bear on a tricycle. Bear is huge and the tricycle is small. Bear looks worried and uncomfortable. Now turn to the title page and see the warm hug between the two good friends. What just happened?

Duck loves to try new things and he wants his friend Bear to join in but Bear is cautious. He worries about disasters, he worries he won't succeed. Some new things do end in a disaster of course, such as riding that too small bike. Then Duck announces he is going to join a dance class. Bear is so nervous and clumsy but his friend does not give up. He encourages Bear to close his eyes and just enjoy moving to the music - to be spontaneous. Bear has so much fun. It is a wonderful day and a wonderful discovery that Bear can really enjoy dancing. 

"It felt magnificent."

By the next day, though, Duck has another plan - swimming lessons. What will Bear say? 

Bear and Duck are Friends has been short listed by our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) in the Early Childhood category.

Here are the judges' comments: Perfectly pitched to young readers, this gentle story about friendship creates opportunities to discuss fears, challenges and being open to new experiences. The highly accessible text is thoughtfully presented in different ways, with changing size and direction adding interest. The delightful illustrations show movement of the characters and perfectly reflect the text, offering sequences of action and moments to pause and reflect. Rhyming phrases and simple sentences blend seamlessly, with occasional alliteration and a smattering of more complex vocabulary. There is a lovely role reversal in that the bigger, stronger animal is fearful, thus opening the door to important 

conversations about stereotypes. The satisfying resolution reveals the two friends readying themselves for the next challenge

Companion books:

Bear and Chook by the Sea 

Almost Anything

The Misadventures of Frederick

I really enjoy books that celebrate unlikely friends and courage and trying new things. Bear and Duck are friends is aimed at a very young audience and it shows a sweet relationship that celebrates the best parts of being a true friend. You could look for books by Bonny Becker; Jory John; and Suzanne Bloom.

Here are some other books I enjoyed by Sue deGennaro:

We're Stuck

The Pros and Cons of being a Frog

Eddie Frogbert

The Emperor's new Clothes Horse

How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald

My friends fall into two groups - those who care deeply about politics and seem to know so much about every controversy and those, like me, who only have a cursory interest perhaps focusing on a small range of issues such as Education, Environment, Health and Aged Care. I am sure many Primary aged readers are curious about the political process and perhaps they even wonder what life might be like if your father was PM.

Let's look closely at the cover of this book - I spy Julia Gillard (first female PM of Australia) and John Howard (25th PM of Australia). But who are these other people?  The PM in this book is obviously based on our last PM -  Scott Morrison but his photo is not on the cover. Morrison has two daughters; they did live in Kirribilli House; the girls attend a private school (but it was nowhere near Kirribilli House); and our Scott did run away to Hawaii. Some might say he was also an accidental PM.  

I should also mention there are beautiful jacaranda trees growing in the area around Kirribilli House so the issue is a real one. I think the cover designer is also referencing the PM portraits in Parliament House in Canberra. You could explore this with your class. 

Here is an interview with the author and Joy Lawn on her blog Paperbark Words. Here is a video review with Oliver P. 

Publisher blurb (University of Queensland Press): Imagine your dad gets the top job but isn’t exactly up to it. Then he sneaks off on holiday, leaving the country without a leader. What would you do? When Harper’s dad becomes the prime minister he’s terrible at it. He was thrust into the top job after a heroic boogie-board rescue of two kids (and a labradoodle) from a shark attack, but surviving government is proving hard.  Their family is a laughing stock, and Dad disappears to a ‘conference’ – but he leaves his phone behind. With her little sister, Lottie, Harper must secretly take his place and decide on a new policy by the end of the week. She finds herself torn between ideas – should she ban plastic bottles? Or make weekends longer? Can she prove a kid can lead the country better than a grown-up?

Here are a set of very comprehensive teachers notes for this book. The text messages in this book add a terrific touch of humour. 

Grade 6 in my former school studied government in Term 2 prior to their excursion to Canberra.  For this topic I used these books in my school library and we focused on former Prime Ministers researching quirky life details and achievements.

When I did this unit of work the following was true:

• 10 Prime Ministers were defeated at a general election: Deakin, Fisher, Cook, Bruce, Scullin, Chifley, McMahon, Fraser, Keating, Howard. 
• There have been 20 changes of Prime Minister without an election. 
• Reasons include: Vice-regal intervention: Whitlam; Voluntary departure: Barton, Fisher, Page, Forde, McEwen, Menzies ; Party-room coups: Hughes, Menzies, Gorton, Hawke; Death: Lyons, Curtin, Holt; Defeat in Parliament: Deakin (2), Watson, Reid, Fisher, Fadden 
• There have been 7 Prime Ministers who never won an election: Watson, Reid, Page, Fadden, Forde, McEwen, McMahon. 
• There have been 10 Opposition Leaders who contested elections but never became Prime Minister: Tudor, Charlton, Evatt, Calwell, Snedden, Hayden, Peacock, Hewson, Beazley & Latham. 

Today I found these two books from the UK which might appeal to readers who enjoy How to be Prime Minister and survive Grade Five:

This one looks good too:

If you want to take the themes of this book and give them a more serious focus I highly recommend this fantastic book about children and activism:

Do Something for Someone Else

Finally try to find a really old book - Battle for the Galah Trees by Christobel Mattingley to compare with this book. Thanks to UQP for sending an advance copy of How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five.

A Dress with Pockets by Lily Murray illustrated by Jenny Løvlie

Aunt Augusta takes Lucy shopping for a new dress. They go to the Fabulous Fashion Store and the manager proceeds to show a myriad of fancy dresses to Lucy. It is scene adults might link with the shopping one in Pretty Woman.

Apart from the title, there is a huge hint about Lily and her need for pockets when you look at the end papers - they are filled with tiny bits n' pieces perfect for placing in pockets!

"Sun dresses, fun dresses, blue dresses, green. Titchy dresses, witchy dresses, very very itchy dresses! Swirly-twirly-whirly dresses, fit for a queen.

Finally after all the flurry of over the top dresses, Lucy whispers her true desire - a dress with pockets! Lucy is an outdoor girl. She collects bugs, beetles, shells, feathers and leaves. Pockets are essential. 

Luckily the shop keeper has just the right dress - although I was hoping he might suggest something different such as pair of overalls or jeans. Anyway, Lily is delighted and so is Aunt Augusta - in fact they take two of these dresses - one each. 

It is fun to think about the way the author uses her own name for her young character. 

Gently whimsical and humorous, and underscored with a subtle feminist message, this is a joyous ‘read it again’ book and one that if shared with more than one child at a time, must be taken sufficiently slowly to allow for enjoying the wealth of detail and ongoing canine capers shown in every scene. Red Reading Hub

Jenny Løvlie is originally from Norway. She now lives in the UK. Here is her web site. 

Pockets are so useful and I find now, when I always need to carry a face mask (Covid), I appreciate pants and dresses with pockets even more.

Here are some other books about pockets - you could perhaps include this as a mini library theme:

Keep a poem in your pocket by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Keep a poem in your pocket

and a picture in your head

and you'll never feel lonely

at night when you're in bed

The little poem will sing to you

the little picture bring to you

a dozen dreams to dance to you

at night when you're in bed

So-

Keep a picture in your pocket

and a poem in your head

and you'll never feel lonely

at night when you're in bed.

Wolf Girl by Jo Lorning-Fisher

"Sophy realised that the bear was COLD and LONELY outside. Maybe he had just been looking for a place to shelter, like them. He didn't look so big and scary any more. 

Sophy knew what she must do. 

As Sophy walked outside, she realised that sometimes being KIND was the BRAVEST thing of all."

Sophy is a lonely little girl but she finds solace in the world of her imagination. She slips on her wolf suit and climbs into her den. She feels fierce, fast, strong and a little bit brave.  After an especially distressing day at school, Sophy curls up inside her den.

"She hugged herself as hot, salty tears streamed down her cheeks."

Then some thing magical happens. Sophy finds herself in the forest with a mother wolf and her pup. She romps with them in the show covered forest until eventually they all take shelter in a cave. Unfortunately someone else is using this cave - a huge brown bear. Sophy yells at the bear and he retreats outside but then Sophy feels sad as you can read from my opening text quote.

The bear returns and all four snuggle up against the cold. When Sophy wakes up she finds she is back home but her dream has given her a new strength to face another day at school. 

The book design for Wolf Girl is brilliant. Glorious end papers which show Sophy's love of wolves, a dust jacket with a surprise underneath. I love books where the publisher takes a trouble to include a different image under the dust jacket - this rarely happens here in Australia.

I think I have found my newest favourite illustrator - Jo Loring-Fisher from the UK. Her art reminds me of Jon Klassen especially his book Extra Yarn. 

Bio for Jo Lorning-Fisher: Jo Loring-fisher is an artist, illustrator and storyteller based a stones throw away from Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. She loves the countryside, and enjoys creating images using a range of materials including collage, inks, paint and printmaking. Much of her inspiration comes from observing nature and everyday life. She loves the scope of subjects that children's books cover, from light-hearted, to tackling the challenges we all face. She sometimes favours difficult subject matter softened by the use of her chosen materials. She is a recent graduate of Cambridge School of Art's MA in Children's Book Illustration.

This beautifully told and enchantingly illustrated story carries important themes of overcoming the isolating feeling of being shy, finding friends and most importantly, finding your voice, and will delight readers young and old. Reading Zone

We are so lucky that in my part of Sydney, Lifeline hold fabulous book fairs. Their fairs are created with enormous care and only books in near new condition are set out for sale. My book today is hardcover, first edition, with a dust jacket published in 2021 retail price $25 book fair price $1.  YES one dollar!

I would pair Wolf Girl with Blue Flower which is a book on the 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year short list.

You could also look for these:

Moon

Wolfie

The Wolf's Secret

Here are some other books illustrated by the talented Jo Loring-Fisher: