The Pencil by Susan Avingaq illustrated by Charlene Chua

When Susan's mother leaves their iglu to help a neighbour with a birth, she and her sister Rebecca and brother Peter are left in the care of their father. Play for the children includes having a jumping contest, a game of hide-and-seek and the two older girls practicing their letters on the frost surface of the ice window. But when Ataata pulls out the pencil from the special box of Anaana's things, everything changes. The pencil is already very short from Anaana's writing of letters to people in other camps, using whatever paper she might save including from tea boxes and sugar bags, but it is still gold. Anaana always said that we needed to be very careful with the pencil and that it wasn't a toy. Ataata also gives Susan a piece of paper and suggests she draw pictures for her brother. Though nervous, she draws seals and caribou and her family. Then Rebecca practices her writing, and Peter draws some scribbles and their father draws different inuksuit. The pencil gets shorter and Ataata has to sharpen it with his knife. Source: CanLit for Little Canadians

Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in the backmatter. Kirkus

Listen to an audio sample here. This book (2019) is available here in Australia but sadly it will be well beyond the budget of most school libraries. 

While we were in Canada my friend and I tried to read lots of Canadian indigenous titles. The Pencil is one we found in library and it is a story that has lingered with me. My friend had talked about this book previously in this blog post. 

At the IBBY Congress in Ottawa IBBY launched their newest list: IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages.

This list links with International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).

The Collection is both a celebration and a call to action. It invites readers, educators, publishers and institutions worldwide to discover the richness of books created in Indigenous and endangered languages, while encouraging the production and dissemination of new works. By highlighting stories rooted in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, it affirms that languages are not only to be preserved, but to be actively used, shared and continuously reimagined. The development of this Collection has been both an ambitious and deeply enriching process. The final Collection offers a journey across regions and traditions, showcasing how children, through more than 152 languages, engage with stories that reflect their realities, imaginations and identities.

Over 500 titles were submitted from around the world and 169 were eventually selected for this inaugural list representing 150 languages. You can see the full list with detailed annotations here. I previously talked about the book by David A Robertson from Cananda that is included on this list. He was a Keynote speaker at the IBBY Congress. 

Here are the criteria for the UNESCO IBBY List:

● Books for children and young people (picture books, novels, biographies, graphic novels and nonfiction) presenting high-quality standards in terms of text and/or illustration; 

● books published between January 2018 and December 2025; 

● books originally published in an Indigenous and/or an endangered language, and original bilingual books including at least one Indigenous and/or endangered language;  

● books expressing the intention of, or relation to, one or more of the 10 outputs of the Global Action Plan of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages; and 

● books and publications that adhere to UNESCO principles and respect 

political neutrality. 

Here are a few of the Australian titles:

These books are not included in the IBBY UNESCO catalogue but they were some I read in the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver:

You can read more about these and many others here.

Joey and the Junjardy by Allison Rocca illustrated by Brenton E McKenna

"I'd been cursed by the Junjardy ever since I moved to Coolibah Creek. But I didn't have hard feelings about it. I was glad the Junjardy had latched onto me, saw something in me living on ancestral land, showed me how to find my place ... to Country."

Joey and his family - mum, dad and sister have moved back to live with their uncle at Collibah Creek. Near the creek Joey hears some noises and later he sees a small hairy creature. Now Joey himself is somewhat of a prankster, but he seems to have met his match with the Junjardy. The question is how much is too much and why are the pranks escalating - is the Junjardy upset?

"Two eyes appeared, peering out among the leaves. Bright, unblinking eyes. Too big for a lizard. Too small for a stray dog. My breath stuck in my throat. A cold, prickly feeling crawled over me, from top to toes, like I'd stepped into a giant spiderweb. The eyes glinted at me. .... I dunno what I was looking at. I just knew it wasn't good."

"Could it be that Coolibah Creek was not some old, boring place like I first thought?"

"I looked closer. I could make out a head, body, arms and legs. The face had ordinary human features, if you could call them that. Poking out from a mat of dark grass-like hair was a flat nose and a mouth with jagged teeth. Somehow it was a face that managed to look young and old at the same time, both a boy and a girl at one."

"Some mobs believe that it's a protector of the land. For fellas on their native land, it can be mischievous. Stealing from them, hiding things, making a mess. But ... fellas who are not on traditional land or who are trying to hurt the land ... it can act aggressively towards them."

Adults can't see the Junjardy and nor can some kids but later Joey learns his teacher and mother do know about it. 

I had one small quibble with this book. I read the bio of debut author Allison Rocca and discovered she is a primary school teacher, so I was very surprised by her portrayal and character name for the school Principal of Collibah Creek Primary School - Mr Plodd. She also makes a small throw-away comment about teachers when she says describes the scene 15 minutes after the end of the school day: "We were the last kids around. Teachers were leaving the car park in droves." I have worked in five schools and I never witnessed teachers leaving so quickly after the bell. It is an awful myth/generalisation that teachers only work between 9am and 3pm. Here is a link to the teachers notes where you can read why Allison wrote her book. 

Thanks to UQP for sending an advance copy of Joey and the Junjardy. This book will be included if your school purchases the Lamont Standing order. 

Publisher blurb: Joey Gibbs is always up for a laugh. What isn’t funny: the ‘Big Trouble’ he caused at his old school that meant his family had to move back home to Coolibah Creek. Joey’s going to keep his head down this time. New school, new mates, new start. But trouble seems to have a way of finding him.

When his sister and cousin start getting mysteriously pranked, Joey looks for answers from his Wakka Wakka culture. He discovers he’s caught the attention of the Junjardy, a hairy little trickster. Joey can’t resist making mischief again with his secret partner in crime. But as the jokes spiral out of control, he must work out what the Junjardy wants with him before disaster strikes.

Joey and the Junjardy’, by debut First Nations author Allison Rocca, is a funny middle-grade novel featuring characters from First Nations storytelling. This represents reading for pleasure - and has the power to raise really positive conversations about storytelling and culture. Paul Macdonald

Allison Rocca is a primary school teacher who has taught in classrooms from the ’burbs of Australia, to remote villages in Asia and castle-like academies in Oxford. She is a descendant of Wakka Wakka and Kaanju people and her upbringing was rich in storytelling. Allison likes to draw on the stories passed down by her highly respected Elder grandparents to write fiction for children and young adults. She lives and writes on Yuggera/Turrbal Country, Brisbane.

Brenton E McKenna is a Yawuru artist and writer from Broome who fell in love with comic books at a young age. He studied visual arts at Goulburn TAFE, and in 2011 became the first ever published Indigenous graphic novelist with the release of Ubby’s Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon. When he’s not drawing, Brenton dedicates his time to educating young people through creative storytelling workshops.

The scenes in this story where Joey is framed for taking Bruno's precious pencil set reminded me of these classic Australia books:

Here is another Australian book about pranking:

Meet the Canadian author David A Robertson

David Alexander Robertson (born 12 January 1977) is a Canadian author and public speaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has published over 25 books across a variety of genres and is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award. He will be a keynote speaker at the 2026 IBBY Congress in Ottawa.  I thought I should explore some of his books or at least familiarise myself with them before I hope to read many in Canada and at the Congress.

About the Misewa Saga: Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. A fantasy for readers aged ten and up, the Misewa Saga (“misewa” is Cree for “all that is”) series reflects stories of the sky and the constellations held within its great canvas.

Here are some of his children's titles. 

Ispík kákí péyakoyak | When We Were Alone (2020)

On the Trapline (2021)

Strangers (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 1) (2017)

Monsters (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 2) (2018)

Ghosts (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 3) (2019)

The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga, Book One) (2020)

The Great Bear (The Misewa Saga, Book Two) (2021)

The Stone Child (The Misewa Saga, Book Three) (2022)

The Portal Keeper (The Misewa Saga Book Four) (2023)

The Sleeping Giant (The Miswea Saga, Book Five) (2025)

The World's End is the newest title in this series - Book Six

You will find a longer list here. And you can read more about his adult books and YA titles here. 

Blurb: A picture book that celebrates fathers and grandfathers. A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, travel to visit a place very special to Moshom – the trapline his family used when he grew up. The boy imagines life two generations ago, and what is different and what is similar to his life now. A beautiful introduction to Indigenous culture, as well as – more generally – family histories.

Here is my previous post - meet the illustrator Julie Flett.

Blurb: When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and wear beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where everything was taken away.

When I attended the USBBY Conference in Seattle I read this book which opened my eyes to the experience of children in Canada who were placed in residential schools. Here is a list of other books complied by David A Robertson on this topic.

This book has just been released. Here is the bookseller blurb: When I'm a moshom, a long, long time from now, I will watch my grandchildren dance and play hockey, and I will be the loudest one cheering. I will take them on the trapline and teach them how to fish. I will feed them Bannock and share stories about our community. I will tell them I love them, just like my moshom did. This heartwarming story thoughtfully explores the legacy of love, traditions and heritage passed down from generation to generation. Through the eyes of three siblings and their moshom (grandfather), readers are taken on a journey filled with cherished moments, from cheering at sports events to sharing traditional Cree knowledge and language. This picture book beautifully captures the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren, making it perfect for shared reading and an ideal gift for special occasions like birthdays, holidays or family celebrations.

Greedy Frog by Gregg Dreise

From the back notes: "Although Tjidalih or Water Holding Frogs aren't found everywhere in Australia, several Aboriginal Indigenous Nations do share Dreaming with these beautiful creatures. Therefore, this story has been turned into a book several times. The frog is known as Tiddalik, yet we pronounce them Tjidalih. The "j" beside the "t" lets you know to put your tongue on the top of your mouth, rather than behind your teeth as is done with the letter "t". Try it."

Here is the opening sentence: "Way back before Once-upon-a-time time, there was the Dreamtime and the outback was in the middle of a drought. Yirray, the sun drank all the water."

Publisher blurb: A clever frog, Tjidalih, promised to take care of all the water. But he kept it in his pouch. The animals had to work out a way to trick Tjidalih, to make him laugh to spill the water. This is the famous story of Tjidalih the Frog retold by Greg Dreise according to the traditions of the Goomelroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. It s a bold imaginative tale underpinned by a wry humour to reinforce the importance of sharing and supporting each other in hard times.

I enjoyed the way Gregg Dreise gives young readers several hints that Tjidalih is 'up to no good':

"Tjidalih had a big, not-so-honest grin on his face."
"Tjidalih had a huge, far-from-honourable smirk on his face."

It would be especially good to talk to your library group about the power of a word like 'smirk' and also when the animals finally get Tjidalih to laugh there is a touch of mockery about this which could be another good discussion point. Tjidalih is laughing at poor Burrung is caught in her own tangle. You could also research the way the final words in this book link with traditional practices of using water-holding frogs (they are real) as a way to obtain water.

It would be so interesting to share Greedy Frog alongside other books that feature this greedy water guzzling frog. With older students you could talk about traditional indigenous stories and the common themes found in stories told in different parts of Australia, by different indigenous storytellers and in different indigenous languages. 

There is also the issue of WHO should re-tell the story and the changes to our thinking about this over time. If you have a High School group you might look for one or two of the very old versions of this tale which did not have indigenous authors - Tiddalick the Frog by Susan Miho Nunes illustrated by Ju-Hong Chen (1989); What made Tiddalik Laugh by Joanna Troughton (from the UK 1986); and I found a Joy Cowley Story Box reading scheme version. (Trove list 67 book references that include the word Tiddalik and 33 with the word Tiddalick)

This version is from 1980

Wikipedia explains the story: In the creation myth, Tiddalik awoke one morning with an insatiable thirst and started to drink until he had gulped down all the available fresh water. Creatures and plant life everywhere began to die due to lack of moisture. Other animals conspired against Tiddalik and devised a plan for him to release all of the water he had consumed. This was successfully coordinated by a wise old owl, when Nabunum the eel made Tiddalik laugh when he tied himself in comical shapes. As Tiddalik laughed, the water rushed out of him to replenish the lakes, swamps and rivers.

Here are some versions that might be in your school library:

Read more here. And also I have a post about Susan L Roth. 

Further reading:

The Aussie Handbook

Museums Victoria

Aboriginal Creation Stories

You could also use Greedy Frog as a way to talk about other trickster tales. 

Gregg Dreise is a gifted artist, storyteller and musician, and he features the didgeridoo and guitar in his performances at schools, libraries and festivals. He is a descendant of the Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. He is the author and illustrator of Cunning Crow; Silly Birds; Kookoo Kookaburra; Mad Magpie and My Culture and Me.

I previously talked about Turbo Turtle from this series - every school library needs this full series. 

Read more here on the Magabala web page.

Gregg Dreise also illustrated this version:

Muttonfish Magic by Aunty Ruth Simms, Lucy Robertson and Jasmine Seymour

"These are true stories from my lived memory in my mother's language, as well as the memories of my sisters and brothers ... They are stories from a different time, and from a place significant to all Australians." Aunty Ruth Simms

Publisher blurb: Aunty Ruth remembers going with her mother and brothers on a day out to the cove near their home, to learn traditional fishing and abalone hunting and cooking methods. After a day on the rocks watching mum work her magic, they return home with a feed for their family.

There are two text lines in this book that really resonated with me:

"We filled our pram with just enough muttonfish for a family meal ... "

This is the essence of sustainability surely. They only took what the family needed.

"No plaque marks our fishing spot or spills our secrets. We remember."

These simple words are a powerful way to talk to the children in your family and library about the importance of shared stories, shared culture, wisdom of the elders, and community memories. 

This book should be an essential addition to your school library.

Dharug woman and Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner Jasmine Seymour accentuates the family’s bond through illustrations that radiate warmth and connection. Her expressive depictions of family interactions, combined with luminous land and waterscapes and meticulous renderings of local flora, deepen the book’s sense of place and belonging. Primary school-aged readers familiar with Seymour’s Open Your Heart to Country and Lisa Kennedy’s books will appreciate Muttonfish Magic. It is an impressive picture book that should receive critical acclaim and wide educational use. Joy Lawn Books and Publishing

Thanks to Magabala Books for my advance copy of Muttonfish Magic which will be published this week.

When you share this book in your library, please talk about Aunty Ruth Simms and explain that this story comes from her lived experience. You could find a map of the La Perouse area and talk about the way the kids and their mother walked across a golf course. You will also need to look at pictures of muttonfish (abalone) and muckendy (rock cod). Other names for abalone are: Sea Ears, Ear Shells, Muttons Shells, Muttonfish, Pāua, and Ormer. Here is a video from the ABC you could share with your older students. 

Muttonfish (abalone)

Read more about Red Rock Cod here

You might compare this photo with the wonderful illustration by Jasmine Seymour

Better Read Kids are hosting an event for this book on 21st February 2026.

It would be good to also read Going Fishing with Nana. I would also share Going for Pippies and Three Dresses. 

Aunty Ruth Simms was born on The Reserve in La Perouse in 1941 as one of nine children. She grew up with a strong connection to both Larpa and Jerrinja cultures. From a young age she learnt about traditional bush foods, language and medicines and went to sleep on ‘goonjarn’ stories (ancient spirit stories). Today, Ruth lives in Nowra with her daughter Trudy and works as an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) in local primary schools. She has a Diploma of Education and is passionate about embedding Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. She is currently the longest serving AEO at the NSW Department of Education and remains a strong advocate for her people. In 2012, Aunty Ruth was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her contributions to education.

Lucy Robertson is a primary school Teacher Librarian and has always been passionate about good stories. She grew up on a vineyard and winery in Mudgee before studying journalism and creative writing, later completing an education degree after a move to the South Coast surfing village of Culburra Beach. When Lucy first started working with Aunty Ruth, she was struck by her beautiful stories of fishing, crabbing and shell work with her family in La Perouse and ‘The Dock’ in Orient Point, eventually convincing her to start writing them down for future generations.

Jasmine Seymour is a Dharug woman and descendant of Maria Lock, who was the daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal elder who had met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1791. Maria was the first Aboriginal woman to be educated by the Blacktown Native Institute. She was married to carpenter and convict, Robert Lock and their union resulted in thousands of descendants who can all trace their Dharug heritage back past Yarramundi. Jasmine is a member of the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation.

Baby Business

Here is an interview with Jasmine Seymour about this book

Dingo's Dream by Helen Milroy

Bookseller blurb: There is someone in distress, but who? Dingo checks on everyone in his community but they're all fine. He mounts a search and rescue mission. He searches all over the countryside until he stumbles across his homeland he hasn't visited for many years and is now an empty landscape. They find a strange animal stranded at the bottom of ravine. It was Dingo s country that called him to rescue the stranger - a Tasmanian Devil a long way from home. Dingo remembers the packs of dingoes who sang at sunset long ago and he goes back and sings, and soon many packs of dingoes are singing at sunset again. Tasmanian Devil helps Dingo on his way home and tells all the dingoes across the land, their country is calling them home.

The stunning illustrations on glossy pages are a visual delight with the white text being a standout feature. This skilfully written narrative is highly accessible and would be a perfect read for those Early Years children seeking an early chapter book or would be an entertaining short novel to be read aloud in class. Read Plus

Read more about Dingoes - Bush Heritage Australia.

Taronga Zoo

This book is part of a series by Helen Milroy from Magabala Books (thanks for my review copy). Dingo's Dream is the first book from the second series. You should try to collect all of these for your school library. 

Tales from the Bush Mob are books about a group of animals who work together to solve problems. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Each book shares a rich landscape of characters and places, including Dingo, Willy-willy Wagtail, Eagle, Platypus, Koala, Wombat, Kookaburra, Echidna and Kangaroo. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, 

perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Helen Milroy is a born storyteller and a talented artist. She is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia but was born and educated in Perth. Currently Helen is the University of Western Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Helen has been on state and national mental health and research advisory committees and boards with a particular focus on Indigenous mental health as well as the wellbeing of children.

Turbo Turtle by Gregg Dreise

"Way back before Once-upon-a-time time ..."

A little lizard is born and then grabbed by an eagle. He is rescued by Biamme who names him Warrabah. Warrabah enjoys life in this new place, but he longs to return to his homeland. The journey with the eagle has taken him far across the land. Biamme tells Warrabah he can set off to find his family but there are rules to follow. 

"I give you this magic because you have a wonderful kind heart. Use it to search this land and find your family. Be sure to ask permission to be on the different Countries. Let the Elders know what you are doing and ask permission to hunt on your travels."

As with all cautionary tales, Warrabah does not listen and he is impatient and he breaks these very important laws. He is taken back to face the Elders and the scene turns violent:

"They threw their spears. The two shields grew onto Warrabah's body and he ducked his head and arms behind the shields."

Have you guessed what happens? This will be a terrific book to share in your library - it fits into the category of Pourquoi stories - in this case How did the Turtle get his shell? Why do turtles move slowly? Pourquoi is the French word for "why". Pourquoi stories try to explain in an entertaining way why something happens or why things are the way they are, especially in nature.

Bookseller blurb: That lizard wriggled so much his tail broke off. He fell, but Biamme made a safe landing for him. Biamme gave him speed and he became turbo-charged. Biamme shared the Lore with him. When that lizard forgot to ask the Elders permission to hunt on their Country they complained to Biamme. He had to face the punishment called Boreen. Biamme gave him two boreens (shields), which grew on each side of his body to protect him from the Elders spears. He's not turbo-charged anymore.

Thanks to Magabala books for this review copy. Turbo Turtle was published on 11th November 2025. Here are some very detailed and very useful teachers notes. 

This morality tale is a Dreaming story as told by the Gomeroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of southwest Queensland and north-west New South Wales. Through creating this book, Gregg Dreise not only shares the importance of Lore, language, identity and home, but also subtly includes the challenges faced by members of the Stolen Generations removed from Country, disconnected from family and culture. He also shares the lessons that can be learnt from making mistakes. With important messages of respect, consequences, patience and responsibility, Turbo Turtle also relays the value of connection, acceptance and belonging.  

This is the fourth book in the Scales and Tales series – (it's) more than just a story about the origins of our native creatures for each has an underlying message that relates to human behaviour – in this case, it’s about actions and consequences, and how those consequences can change our pathway forward, even our lives, so that we find where we belong – and how that reinforces the connection to Country that guides today’s First Nations generations. Dreise expands on the origins of this story and its implications on the final page ... The Bottom Shelf

Look for other titles in the Scales and Tails series by Gregg Dreise:

And this book:

Country by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson illustrated by Cheryl Davison

Country is past, present, future.

Country is songs and stories, art and ceremony.

Country is earth and sky, moon and stars.

Country is waterholes, creeks and rivers. Ocean and beaches. ...

Country is all living creatures. ...

Country is all of us. Country is how we behave, how we care for each other.

Just after this book was published I was in a bookshop with a friend and she commented that she would love to have a piece of art from this book Country. That certainly made me take a closer look. 

Fast forward to October this year and I spied Country at our local charity book sale - for just AUS$3 (retail price AUS$25). And yes, once again the copy is in mint condition so now I am the happy owner of this very special book.

There is a detailed annotation for Country on the National Centre for Children's Literature Indigenous books database. 

Image source: Artessence Gallery

Here are some teachers notes from Lamont. If you subscribe to Story Box Library you could share this book as a video - but in my view you should explore the print book (slowly) first.

Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir is an Elder and Traditional Owner of Boon Wurrung Country. She is the senior linguist at the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages in Melbourne. Fay is working with her own Boon Wurrung language, recording and putting language into the database for future and present generations. She presents language-related workshops to community members who are reclaiming their languages, as well as universities and TAFEs that are interested in understanding the many and challenging aspects of language reclamation. She also goes out to schools to educate the students about language and culture and to teach language. 

The images in this book are outstanding. The style employs the traditional dot style of indigenous art, with some additional flourishes. The palette is very earthy, black, white, oranges, reds, olive greens and browns. The depicted scenes vary from night time to ocean, to treetops with images of birds, fish, people, bats and other living creatures, giving readers a complete picture of what ‘country’ is.There is a quiet reverence that emanates from this book, and I can see it being used not just to learn about indigenous beliefs and culture, but also for mindfulness and connection. Reading Time

Other books by Aunty Fay Muir:

IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece Art Auction - Meet Dub Leffler

Dub Leffler is an illustrator, writer, animator and mixed media artist, working in the arts through books, film, television, muralism and art education. ...  He is a prominent children’s book illustrator and author, collaborating with Sally Morgan, Banksy, Coral Vass and others, and is known for his soft realistic portraits and emotional landscapes. He is descended from the Bigambul and Mandandanji people of southwest Queensland as well as being of French, Syrian and Irish heritage. ... His award-winning bestseller picture book Once There Was a Boy (2011) received international recognition, was acquired by the Library of Congress and was featured several times at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. More recently, Leffler illustrated Sorry Day (2018), written by Coral Vass, which won the 2019 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books from the CBCA. Black Cockatoo (2018), which he illustrated, was also an Honour Book that year. At last count, Dub has created 25 books. (Source Dub Leffler)

In 2011 Dub Leffler spoke with Kids' Book Review about his work 

Here are the two pieces Dub Leffler has generously donated for our IBBY Australia online Mini Masterpiece art auction:

From Rocky and Louie (see book cover below)

From Sorry Day (see book cover below)

And here are some of his books (all of which are sure to be in your local or school library):

Our Dreaming was submitted for the CBCA awards in 2022. Here are some judge's comments (I was one of the judges):

I do hope there will be an audio version of this or perhaps a video version so children can hear the Gundungurra words. The illustrations in this book add a gentle mood and beautifully compliment the wisdom of the text. The lines “it is our identity, purpose and responsibility to our community” are so powerful. The dedication by Dub Leffler is wonderful and would be a perfect way to begin a discussion about this book with a group of students. This book will show readers the importance of respecting and sharing dreaming stories. The reader is taken on a gentle journey of discovery too, with Gundungurra words used in such a natural way. The word list and pronunciation guide will give Non indigenous readers an opportunity to engage with and learn new words. Dub Leffler’s illustrations are perfect, drawn in muted, earthy tones, that also reflect the colours of the land. His work has a lightness of touch. Some pages are almost tactile. 

From the delicate watercolour/mixed media illustrations to the gentle tone of this almost sacred poem this book calls the reader into it ... Saunders has captured this voice, and Leffler generously invites us in. The production of this book including artistic endpapers that are like watching an orchestra tune up, matte buff stock, a text type which echoes the transparent nature of the watercolour images and a cover sprinkled with foil stars/ make this a book to be proud of.

I really love how the Indigenous words are integrated seamlessly into the English text to create this bilingual celebration of culture – and I fully appreciate the glossary and pronunciation guide at the back. The Australian life depicted in the illustrations are wonderfully realistic ... we get different views – some close ups, some long shots, some birds’ eye views – to get a real sense of place. It’s refreshing that the central characters are echidnas; a perfect choice for this slow and contemplative journey across the land. This is a book that will enrich readers’ experiences and understandings – of Indigenous culture, history, and language.

Bindi

Frog finds a Place

Dub also has an illustration in this book:

The Bicycle (2011) features separate illustrations from internationally acclaimed artists - including Quentin Blake, Shaun tan, Tony Ross and Freya Blackwood - which celebrate the liberating joy of two wheels. Read this from Kids' Book Review

In 2020 Dub Leffler created our IBBY Australia New Year greeting card which was shared with the 85 sections of IBBY.