Platypus Bend by Diane Jackson Hill illustrated by Craig Smith

The rivulet begins high on a mountain top. It twists and turns and turns and twists 

until it swirls around a bend and softens into a calm pool...

No-one knows – but in that pool there is a secret.

We have some truly curious creatures here in Australia - the kangaroo, koala, numbat, wombat, potoroo, frilled-neck lizard, goanna, dingo, Tasmanian Tiger, emu, echidna, quokka, and birds like the kookaburra and lyrebird but one of my favourites is the platypus. Sadly, I have never seen one except in a zoo, and when you read Platypus Bend it is very clear why because this special solitary monotreme is very good at hiding in order to stay safe.

The joy of this book, apart from reading and learning more about the platypus, comes from the wonderful depictions of our Australian bush by Craig Smith. Take a look at this gentle video made by Craig Smith to showcase his book. And in this video Craig talks about his book. Please watch the video - it will give you a terrific insight into Craig's work as an illustrator.

Image source: Museums Victoria

As we observe the life of the platypus you need to notice the parallel story of the family who live near the creek. This illustration which is part of a larger double spread shows the family moving into their new home.

The fact section at the back of Platypus Bend made me smile with their creative heading - Platypus Particulars. 

Read about the Citizen Scientist project - The Great Australian Platypus search. Here are some classroom resources. 

I am sharing this book today (24th February) because tonight the CBCA will announce their 2026 Book of the Year Notable titles. I am absolutely certain Platypus Bend will be one of the over one hundred titles. Platypus Bend fits into the Eve Pownall Award for Non Fiction.

Look for other books in your local or school library about this curious creature [599.29] - The Platypus: In 2020 I penned this blog post. 

Here are three other books where Diane Jackson Hill and Craig Smith have collaborated.

Windcatcher

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko

There are two tiny hints on the first page of this book that tell you something is not quite right - that Hank and his three-year-old sister Boo (short for Bridget) are all alone. 

"Grandma Mae taught me how. She said a big brother has to know how to change diapers in case his mom forgets."

"I don’t want to run into anyone who might ask about Mom."

Grandma May - past tense - so she is gone and clearly mum is not there either but why? How long has mum been gone? Hank is only eleven - do these kids have money? Is there any other family they can call on for help? AND then there is a dreadful knock on the door:

“Open the door. Mrs. Hooperman. Geri! Geri Hooperman.” He bang-bang-bangs. “I know you’re in there, Mrs. Hooperman. And I have every right to enter the premises.” He rattles the doorknob. Boo puts her hands over her ears and burrows into my leg. We get in the shower stall, but we can still hear. “You owe six months’ rent, Mrs. Hooperman. I’ve given you multiple warnings. We have started eviction proceedings. I need payment in full by tomorrow morning or you and your kids will be forcibly removed. Did you hear that, Mrs. Hooperman?” He slaps the door."

Hank knows that he has to leave. Mum has disappeared before but never for a whole week. On his field trip permission form (yes he had to miss the field trip) his mother wrote a name and an address. Hank knows Lou Ann was a friend to his late grandmother. Early the next morning they set off. The journey takes all day and several bus changes until eventually they arrive and while this place feels safe it also feels very temporary.

"Why is my life a Would You Rather game? Not a funny one, like Would you rather have a cute girl tell you your fly is down or announce to everyone that you have dragon breath? Mine is, Would you rather be evicted or take a bus for four hours to a person’s house you don’t know?"

Finally let's go back to the title. The tenth mistake. Here a quote to explain this (without tell you Hank's worst mistake):

"I hate making mistakes. Little ones are not so bad. You forget to write your name on your homework. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, that’s a level two. You can survive a level two mistake. You don’t get credit for doing the assignment that day. Big deal. But mistakes on the eight, nine, or ten level…they’ll take you out. You forget to hold your little sister’s hand and she runs in front of a car. TEN! TEN! TEN! I never did that, but I came close. Even an almost TEN! is terrifying. I don’t want to choose wrong. But doing nothing can be a mistake too."

One of the many parts of this book that I truly loved was the way the other kids at Hank's new school were so fantastic - thank goodness he didn't have to encounter an awful bully as happens so often in realistic fiction books like this one. I just wanted to hug Ana, Carmen, Legend, Tadeo and Quincy.  And of course Ray, the man next door is a true hero in this story. He felt so real I actually thought about writing him a thank you letter.

The best part of this, which Choldenko mentions in the end notes, is that the kids at school are accepting of Hank, even when he can't tell them everything about his life. They are kind, understanding, and help out when they can. Even Tadeo, Ray's nephew who is jealous of Hank for several reasons, is nice to him. Ms Yingling

There are also small but deeply moving acts of kindness in this story - a lady on the bus gives Hank exact instructions about how to find Lou Ann's house; his mum's hairdresser has no idea where mum has gone but she carefully recuts Hank's hair after the disastrous one from Lou Ann; Coach P recognises Hank has a talent for basketball (you can see that on the cover); Carmen invites him to sit with her group on his first day at lunch time (this is huge); and there is always the nutty up nutty down song:

“Nutty up, nutty down, nutty turn yourself around. Nutty pillow, nutty bed, nutty covers over your head,” and she climbs in bed. Then I hold her hand until she falls asleep."

This book will break your heart. I was so invested in this story but I had to keep telling myself Gennifer Choldenko is sure to rescue Hank by the end of the book and yes, she does but not in a saccharine or contrived way - thank goodness. 

Publisher's Weekly said: "A gut-punch tale that is by turns heartbreaking and hopeful.” 

One of the most complex characters in this book is Lou Ann. She loves little Boo right from the start when the two kids turn up at her door late at night, but she is on her guard about Hank. He is tall for his age. He looks like a teenager. We only get glimpses of this, but it seems Lou Ann had a very bad time with her own teenage son - whatever happened all those years ago she has never recovered. 

I kept hoping Hank was misinterpreting Lou Ann's reactions and discipline and seeming lack of kindness or compassion. I expected a big scene at the end where Lou Ann would reach out a hug Hank and that he would understand her better but, my reading friend, that does not happen - and I am glad. How wonderful to not be able to predict the ending.

Several times each week I catch a bus to the city. It is about a 50-minute trip so it is good to have a book to read. I have loaded quite a few recommended US titles because, yes they have been recommended, but also it is often impossible or impossibly expensive to obtain the print copies of these here in Australia. (Note the paperback of The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman will be available here next month).

Yesterday I started reading The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman. I read it going to the city, I read it coming home, I read it before bed, I read it at 2am and I finished it over breakfast! YES, you know what I am going to say because I have said it before, this book is THAT GOOD! And the final chapter will make you sob.

Publisher blurb: When eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long… Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact. But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he’s been trying to keep secret. And if they can’t find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes–he could lose everything. Gennifer Choldenko has written a heart-wrenching, healing, and ultimately hopeful story about how complicated family can be. About how you can love someone, even when you can’t rely on them. And about the transformative power of second chances.

IF I have not convinced you that this is a book you will love please take a look/listen to Colby Sharp talking about The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman. AND please read the Kirkus Star review too.

This book might remind you of The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. Here are some other companion books:

The Boy in the Suit

Small as an Elephant

Almost Home

The Star outside my window

You can see more books by Gennifer Choldenko. I previously LOVED these books:

No passengers beyond this point

Dogtown and Mouse and His dog

Bear and Bird: The Secret and other stories by Jarvis

The List - Bear is upset that everyone else has a great nickname. In a moment of temper she writes a list of really awful names about her friend Bird. Rabbit arrives and offers to do the shopping and somehow the two lists are mixed up. How lucky because Bird gets the shopping list and wait till you see what happened to the nasty list.

The Lasagna - it is okay to like different things. Bird likes tambourines, a film about worms on holiday and the sounds of eating banana. The friends can't seem to agree so they decide to write their own lists of things they don't like. The contents of their lists are hilarious - slug slime shampoo; the word serious; that book about an alligator with false teeth and the word armadillo. Can the friends resolve their differences?

Secrets - this one ends with a Birthday Party! I reminded me of Pat Hutchins The Surprise Party; Max Velthuis Frog and the Surprise Party and Got to get to Bears. Take a look at this post.

The tree - this is a story about how (not) to play Hide and Seek. (Click that label attached to this post to find lots more hide and seek stories).

Publisher blurb: Best friends Bear and Bird may not always understand each other, but they always want the other to be happy. So when Bird feels left out because Bear has given a cute nickname to everyone but her, she’s relieved when her hasty list of names for Bear doesn’t reach him (Stinky Sock Muffin, anyone?). And when the two of them learn they have zero dislikes in common—from lasagna to chess to the word armadillo—and wonder if they can still be friends, they soon realize there’s one important dislike they can both agree on. Whether the challenge is being hopeless at keeping a secret (Bear), or getting befuddled about the rules for hide-and-seek (Bear again), this ever-endearing pair continue to charm in a sixth set of gentle stories.

Take a look at my previous post about the author illustrator Jarvis.

The world needs more books like this! The Bear and Bird series are written for newly independent readers who need to read real books not 'readers'. They contain short chapters which are self-contained stories and even better they have glorious colour illustrations. If you work in a Primary School library, please please pop this book series onto your shopping list. They only cost around AUS$16 each so for less then $100 you will have six splendid books to share with your young readers. 

Here are the titles in order: 

• Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
• Bear and Bird: The Stars and Other Stories
• Bear and Bird: The Adventure and Other Stories
• Bear and Bird: The Stick and Other Stories
• Bear and Bird: The Cave and Other Stories
• Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories

Plus a picture book - The Cloud: A Bear and Bird

Blurb: When Bear arrives at the Woody Woods for the first time, he is looking for a friend. But it seems like all the friends are already taken. Then he meets Bird, who is looking for something, too—the Puffy Fluffy Octopus Cloud! Bear decides to help her look for it, and so begins an unexpected adventure . . . Will they ever find that octopus-shaped cloud? 

Perhaps they might find something even better!

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

In summation and conclusion, the Malone family has four members who are very bright, very good-looking and uniquely talented, just not all in one person at the same time. We are the only family in the world, in my ken, that has a motto of our own! That motto is “We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful.” I can’t wait until we get there!

Hoping is such hard work. It tires you out and you never seem to get any kind of reward. Hoping feels like you’re a balloon that has a pinhole that slowly leaks air.

Meet Deza - "I am neither very intelligent nor very tall. I also have not been blessed with a beautiful singing voice. I have a pleasingly even disposition unless it’s one of those times that I become very angry or scared and have embarrassing wishes to hurt someone real bad." "My most annoying trait is that some of the time I might talk a little too much, I can be very verbose. I also exaggerate but that is because I come from a family of great storytellers which is not the same as great liars."

And her mother - "My mother, Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Sutphen Malone, was born here in Gary, Indiana. She is willowy and radiant and spell-blindingly beautiful. She is also very intelligent. She has a great job cleaning for the Carsdale family. Yes, that Carsdale family! The family whose patriarch is the president of the Gary Citizens’ Bank. Her most endearing trait is that she is the glue holding this family together."

My father who uses alliteration every chance he has - "He always calls me his Darling Daughter Deza, and I’m supposed to answer that he is my Dearest Delightful Daddy. He calls Jimmie the Genuine, Gentle Jumpin’ Giant, and Jimmie’s supposed to call him his Fine Friendly Father Figure. Father also calls Mother the Marvelous Mammalian Matriarch ... "

And Deza's brother is Jimmy - "The oldest child in our family, Mr. James Edward Malone, is fifteen years old and has been blessed with the singing voice of a angel. Jimmie’s most annoying trait is that he has what Mother says is a napoleon complex. That means Jimmie is not as tall or robust as most boys his age and tries to make up for it by being as loud and full of braggadocio as he can. He also gets in lots of fights. Jimmie’s most endearing trait is that he loves me more than any big brother has loved a little sister since time immoral."

The year is 1936 - the years of The Great Depression. The Malone family are poor. The have to rely on community food handouts. Deza desperately needs to see a dentist and her brother is bullied and taunted for being small and 'slow'. 

“And I know you, Peg. I know you’re going through the same thing, we both know that that little brown-skinned angel is something beyond special. You know if there’s any chance in the future, it’s riding on her narrow shoulders. So you tell me, you tell me how can I come home empty-handed knowing that that sassy, smart, beautiful, charming little girl…my Mighty Miss Malone…is slowly rotting away on the inside and we can’t afford to have her teeth looked after, we can’t even get them pulled?"

Her father is badly hurt on a fishing trip. Her mother loses her cleaning job. Then Deza's Daddy heads away to find work in Flint. Mother, Deza and Jimmy try to follow him but one night Jimmy heads off. He has a dream to be a singer but is he just being conned? These are dangerous times for the mother and daughter who find themselves living in a camp or shanty town with other displaced people. Their dream, though, is to try to find a place called Wonderful with a house of their own and everyone reunited. 

Deza is a top student and her teacher recognises her abilities and also her poverty. In a beautiful scene near the beginning of the book Mrs Needham gifts Deza some shoes and clothes. 

Inside the bag there was a beautiful pair of new patent leather shoes and some folded-up clothes. Mother says it’s rude to set shoes on anything but the floor so that’s where I put them. “Do you wear a size five?” “I’m not sure.” “Try them on.” I picked up the first shoe. There were some socks rolled up in it. “Should I put on the socks too?” “Yes.” I was glad I was behind her desk and she couldn’t see my shoes and socks. My shoes are quite tired and my socks have been darned a million times. Jimmie says our socks and clothes are very religious because they are so holey. My hands were shaking, but I pulled the new socks on and slipped my feet into the shoes. I knew just how Cinderella felt! They were a little big, but maybe that was because mine were so tight. I sat on my socks so Mrs. Needham wouldn’t see them. She said, “My niece from Cleveland spent the summer with me a while ago and left a few things. I thought they might fit you.” Did Mrs. Needham really mean these shoes were for me?

I've included this long quote above because I was utterly devastated later in the story when Deza accidentally leaves her precious clothes behind. 

To get to Flint they jump a train. They are given some really important advice about ways to stay safe in the camp - these were called Hooverville during the Depression.

"You gonna have to be extra careful when you get to camp, that’s unsafe too, if you don’t know what you’re doing.” “What do you mean?” “It’s just like anything else, there’s just enough bad folks in camp to make it so you got to keep your guard up at all times. It’s especially hard on women, and even worst for little girls.” She looked at me and a shiver went through my heart. “You just gotta keep your wits about you and don’t let no one in on your business. Keep it to yourself why you’re on the road alone.” ... “Always let folks think your husband or your brother is with you, always tell ’em that he’s gonna be back later tonight. There’s strength in numbers so let folks think there’s a lot of y’all. You’re a good-looking woman, you gonna have to be careful not to draw a lot of attention you don’t want.” Mother’s jaws tightened. “And don’t let no one get too familiar either, man or woman. Don’t let ’em know where y’all are really from. They’ll start prying and before you know it they’re looking to help you out in some way that ain’t no kind of help at all. Just keep your head low. Don’t look weak or scared.”

Spoiler alert - there were moments I cheered in this story: When Deza and her mother move into a room in a real house; when Deza has an address so she can get a library card; when Deza finally gets good dental help; and when the series of letters arrive with money and news about her father. AND there were moments of despair: When Deza lost her clothing gift; when she couldn't go to the special extra lessons with Mrs Needham; and in her new school when 'black' students are always given low grades no matter how well they perform. 

Bookseller blurb: Deza is the smartest girl in her class, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary, Indiana hard, and there are no jobs for Black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. While Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, Deza and Mother continue on, clinging to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of the Malone's journey reveal not only the devastation of the Depression but also the enduring strength of family bonds and the mighty heart of young Deza Malone.

Listen to an audio sample here. The Might Miss Malone was published in 2012 but because it won the Coretta Scott King Award it is still in print and available in paperback. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Vivid picture of what it was like to live through the Great Depression, as well as what it was like to live with every day prejudice. Deza is a strong character, and her family tries their best to survive and prosper during a difficult time. Ms Yingling

The Mighty Miss Malone is a Superlative Stupendous Story and a Totally Awesome Book. The Book Smugglers

The fluidity of the writing, the strong sense of place and time combined with well-drawn characters will captivate and delight. Kirkus Star review

We talk now about the importance of representation in books for children. Here is a wonderful quote from The Mighty Miss Malone which epitomises this:

"When I was in Gary and would read novels I used to put myself right in the middle of the story. I knew it was a great book when it felt like the author was writing about me. Some of the time I’d get snapped out of the book when I read things that I couldn’t pretend were about me, even if I had the imagination of Mr. William Shakespeare. Words like “her pale, luminescent skin” or “her flowing mane of golden hair” or “her lovely, cornflower-blue eyes” or “the maiden fair.” I would stop and think, No, Deza, none of these books are about you."

Deza is a character from a previous book by Christopher Paul Curtis:

Bud not Buddy

After by Padraig Kenny

"Tell me again how the world ended."

Jen and her father live in the world of 'our' future. All the cities have been destroyed following a huge flood and also, as Jen discovers later, a violent war. At the heart of this destruction is just one man. Edward Seacroft is a tech genius. He has developed a way to build powerful robots called Merks and then he has convinced humans to implant chips in their brains but when his plans went  badly wrong he then implemented his first contingency. 

"Seacroft was the man who invented the Hive, an artificial intelligence network that spanned the globe ... He created robots and machines that were connected via this Hive intelligence. Then he had the bright idea of also connecting humans via implants. ...  Soon the Hive became such an accepted part of life that people were given implants at birth. ... But for some reason the Hive turned on the human race ... The Meks rose up. They showed no mercy. The war was bitter and short. Then the Flood came, overloading everyone and anything connect to the Hive."

People who were too poor for the implants have survived and, as this story begins, Jen and her Father have stumbled onto a small colony. Their leader, Albert, is welcoming and Jen knows this could be a place that she will feel safe but it is vital that no one discovers the true identity of her 'father'. Also who is Albert? Is this really a utopian community? What is hidden behind that locked door? Are the people right to be suspicious of strangers? 

There are eight chilling words in chapter 18:

"Human beings are useful. Up to a point."

Jen is a character who will linger with you long after you finish this book. She is so wise and insightful but also at times witty and funny.  The idea of brain implants is explored in another very old dystopian book that I read and loved decades ago - Devil on my Back by Monica Hughes.

Okay, so I need to say I have had this book on my 'to read' pile for over six months. The cover reminded me of another book I read by Padraig Kenny and I wrongly assumed this one would be similar. I did enjoy Stitch but it was a somewhat harrowing book and so I kept waiting to feel 'in the right mood' to tackle After. 

YES as I said I was wrong. After is a gripping book with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is not a horror story in the traditional sense such as another Padraig Kenny title - The Monsters of Rookhaven. This new book, After, has more in common with Tin published in 2018 because once again he explores the possibilities of robots and their role or interactions in our human world.

I found After when I visited an independent bookstore in Balmain. Chatting to the shop owner I mentioned I enjoy middle grade novels with a dystopian setting - she checked her database and handed me After but months later I had forgotten this conversation and I let the cover guide me, so I kept skipping past this book with the wrong impression of the contents.

Yesterday I started and finished After. I was so engrossed reading this on a bus that I totally stepped away from the 'real world' for several minutes. I love that feeling of being so absorbed in a story. 

This is science-fiction, a dystopian future, but also a message about how we care for each other, and why we do so. Just Imagine

From the outset, the reader is encouraged to question the dynamic between Jen and Father, who are wandering along a path hoping to find a better place, hunting for food and avoiding gangs of scavengers. They have an unusual relationship: Jen is an independent and clever twelve-year-old girl who seems to make a lot of the decisions for the pair, while Father is quiet, protective and obsessed with a parenting book he has read. ...  this (is a) fast-paced and action-packed take on what could be a frightening dystopian topic, that is handled in a moving and thought-provoking manner for young readers. From its gripping first line – ‘Tell me again how the world ended’ – immediately setting the scene, to the final thrilling climax, this book will open young readers’ minds to some big philosophical questions about what it means to be human, whether machines can learn to have feelings and how we treat those who are different to us. Who are the real monsters here, machines or humans?  Children's Books Ireland

Here is a radio interview with the author.

Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer from County Kildare, now living in Limerick. Previously an arts journalist, a teacher and a librarian's assistant, he now writes full-time. His first novel Tin and recent The Monsters of Rookhaven were both Waterstones Books of the Month. He has twice won the Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Fiction, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.

After is sure to make you think about similar issues to those raised in other robot books such as The Wild Robot. Jen's 'father' makes a sacrifice to save her life and the life of the people in this small community. How did the processors of a robot allow him to do this? If you are looking for other dystopian books and books about robots use the labels at the bottom of this post - this book covers lots of issues that should generate deeper discussions about technology, power, corruption, climate change, and even AI.

The wild Robot

This book also explores the issue of robots and emotions.

This book also reminded me of the pods that are found in this book:

The Raven's Song

The Picturebook Makers Part 2 edited by Sam McCullen

The Picturebook Makers series reveals the picturebook’s immense creative potential, celebrates outstanding international picturebooks and their creators, and constitutes an inspiring collection of picturebook knowledge for anyone interested in this unique 

and dynamic art form.

"When the words and the pictures communicate different things at the same time, a third reality is created in the mind of the reader."

"Picturebooks have the power to convey universal sentiments and challenging themes in deceptively simple ways, engaging with the hearts and minds of readers directly and concisely."

The editor of The Picturebook Makers says: 

"I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the all-too-common misconception that making picturebooks is an easy thing to do, and I wanted to show people the hard work, dedication, passion, skill and of course time it takes to make picturebooks of outstanding quality."

In 2014 dPICTUS launched their blog Picturebook Makers. "The artists who feature on the blog are not interviewed; they're just asked to tell the stories of how their picturebooks came to be."

In the first book from this series we meet these twelve illustrators: Jon Klassen, Kitty Crowther, Beatrice Alemagna, Shaun Tan, Eva Lindström, Blexbolex, Chris Haughton, Suzy Lee, Bernardo P. Carvalho, Isol, Manuel Marsol, and Johanna Schaible.

In the second book we meet: Carson Ellis, Axel Scheffler, Anna Höglund, Sydney Smith, Kristin Roskifte, André Letria, Issa Watanabe, Valerio Vidali & Violeta Lópiz, Anete Melece, Vincent Pianina, Marika Maijala, and Jimmy Liao.

Many of these names may be unfamiliar to you here in Australia but hopefully through this blog post you will make some new discoveries. 

See inside Part 2 here.

Valerio Vidali and Violeta Lopiz (Italy and Spain) The Forest.  I previously talked about Hundred illustrated by Valerio Vidali. 

This image is the front cover. The Forest has 70 pages. The bookseller notes say: A lyrical book about the adventure of life, The Forest is also a magnificent visual work, both painterly and a technical feat of paper engineering. Here, sensory experience and the textures of the material world are rendered through die-cuts, embossing, cutouts, and two gatefolds. A beautifully considered work. Riccardo Bozzi was born in Milan in 1966. He is a journalist for the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Violeta Lópiz is an illustrator from the Spanish island of Ibiza. Her beautifully textured work is filled with personality and playfulness. Valerio Vidali is an Italian illustrator based in Berlin. Vidali enjoys botanical gardens and spends his spare time building kites that rarely fly.

Leonard Marcus "The Forest is one of the richest, most surprising picture books I've ever read. A true work of art in every sense, including as bookmaking. It's a landmark."

Here is the Kirkus review. 

Marika Maijala (Finland) Rosie Runs (Ruusun Matka).

Bookseller blurb: Rosie dreams of forests, meadows, hares, and freedom. Trapped at the racetrack, she sprints in endless circles - until one day, Rosie makes a fearless beeline to the enormous world beyond the track. Scared and a little excited too, Rosie runs through shadowy forests, a circus, a bustling train station, and even takes a quick dip alongside a ferry. She keeps running through small towns and whirling cities, observing the gentle, giddy moments of passersby. Readers will find peace in a private look at a man watering his plants, or a jolt of happiness at a long-snouted dog wearing a cap on a train. A book about taking in the wide world around you, Rosie Runs beckons young readers to rediscover their favorite hobbies and passions, and revel in the joy of playing and being among new friends.

Kirkus Star review.

Carson Ellis (USA) Home

Bookseller blurb: Home might be a house in the country, a flat in the city, or even a shoe. There are clean homes, messy homes, sea homes and bee homes. Home resides on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist's own studio. This loving look at the places where people live brims with intriguing characters and is a visual treat that demands many a return visit.

Here is the Kirkus review. Home is available here in Australia in paperback for a good price. 

Anete Melece (Latvia) The Kiosk

Bookseller blurb: For years, the kiosk has been Olga’s life. She spends her days inside reading travel magazines and dreaming of distant places. One day a chance occurrence turns her upside down—literally—and sets her off on an unexpected journey. The Kiosk is a warm and curious story about someone who is stuck finding a way to be free. The story was originally produced as a short animation which gained international recognition and was selected for over 100 festivals around the world.

Andre Letria (Portugal) War (A Guerra)

Here is the Kirkus Star review.

Issa Watanabe (Peru) Migrants

Bookseller blurb: A heart-stoppingly beautiful wordless picture book about migration and empathy. The migrants must leave the forest. Borders are crossed, sacrifices made, loved ones are lost. It takes such courage to reach the end. At last the journey is over and the migrants arrive. This is the new place. Through extraordinarily powerful images, Migrants narrates the journey of a group of animals that leaves behind a leafless forest. With forceful simplicity, Migrants shows us the courage, loss and underlying hope migration takes. And that arriving in a new land may mean burying a portion of the past. Children will empathise quickly with the elegantly illustrated animal characters, each of whom have their own identity with details like clothing, colour choices and expressions. The dark pages add weight to the silence of their journey and the individual animals help make the story a universal one. A perfect book to help teach children about refugees and migration, with humanity, inclusivity and empathy. Readers can’t fail to be moved by this deeply emotional and thought-provoking tale.

Read the Kirkus Star review. 

Sydney Smith (Canada) Do you remember?

Bookseller blurb: Tucked up in bed at their new flat, a boy and his mum share memories. Some are idyllic, like a picnic with Dad, but others are more surprising: a fall from a bike into soft piled hay, the smell of an old oil lamp when a rainstorm blew the power out. Now it’s just the two of them, and the house where all of those memories happened is far away. But maybe someday, this will be a favourite memory, too: happy and sad, an end and a beginning intertwined.

Here are all my previous posts about Sydney Smith winner of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal. He will be a keynote speaker at the 40th IBBY Congress this year - 2026.

Axel Scheffler (Germany) The Gruffalo

Jimmy Liao (Taiwan) The Starry Starry Night

Jimmy Liao is the illustrator of a very important book - The Sound of Colours. I talked about his book When the Moon forgot here. I'm not sure that the book featured in The Picturebook Makers  (The Starry Starry Night) is available in Engish. I did have this glorious book in my former school library. 

Kristin Roskifte (Norway) Everybody Counts 

Book seller blurb: This fun book teaches you to count from 0 to 7.5 billion, but also to do so much more. Follow the characters' stories through the book and see how their lives collide with those of others. There are a lot of secrets to be discovered for the sharp-eyed! You'll see that everyone is different, everyone has their own life, and that - most importantly - everybody counts. At the end, a spotting section allows you to go back and have even more fun.

The sequel to Everybody Counts is Everybody Travels. 

Anna Hoglund (Sweden) There are three titles to explore - The Shadow; Didi and Gogo waiting for the bus; and Whereof one only speaks with Rabbits.

None of these titles are available in English. But you may have seen this one:

You can see Shaun Tan listed for Book One - I would like to suggest these Australian illustrators if Book Three is published in the future: Bob Graham; Freya Blackwood; Jeannie Baker; Zeno Sworder; Marc Martin; and Ann James.

CBCA Predicting the 2026 Younger Readers Notable titles

Trapped

Song of a Thousand Seas

Spud and Snowball

The CBCA 2026 Notables in five Book of the Year categories will be announced at various events around Australia next week on Tuesday 24th February. I love attending these events - it is so exciting to discover books I have not yet read and also to see many books that I loved reading during 2025. 

I was honestly very disappointed, though, with the CBCA Younger Readers choices and winners in 2024 and 2025. I do hope some of the titles in this post have been entered and that they 'make the cut'.  I have put my top three above. I used three of our Australian Standing order services as a way to remind myself or hunt out Younger Readers (ages 7-12). Lost in a Book may not be eligible because it is a sequel, but I think it can stand alone and I loved it even more than the first installment. 

I gave four stars to Oceanforged; Danger Road; The Keeper of the Octopus; Little Bones; Promises and other Lies; The Silken Thread; How to Sail to Somewhere; and Willow Bright's Secret Plot.