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| Recommended for 3+ |
Susannah Chambers and Mark Jackson
$24.99hb
It is refreshing to come across an Australian picture book set in the snow, and The Snow Wombat, set in Australia’s High Country, is just stunning. Meeting animals, birds and people along his path, a little wombat makes his way through the cold landscape to his cosy burrow. The story itself is rhythmic, with just the right amount of repetition to keep young readers guessing what the wombat will do next. Lovely endpapers (a map of the wombat’s journey, recalling E. H. Shepard’s delicious endpapers that grace The Wind in the Willows) and the expressive face of the wombat make this picture book a stand out. Perfect for reading aloud.
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| Recommended for 4+ |
The Detective Dog
Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie
$24.99hb
When a crime needs solving... There is only one dog for the job!
And that fabulous dog just happens to be the multi-talented Detective Dog Nell, the latest lively creation of Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo and many, many more books that children and parents both adore). Nell’s human Peter takes her to school one Monday morning where tragedy has struck – all of the books in the library have been stolen! Luckily, Nell has a nose for solving crimes…this book is classic Julia Donaldson, replete with singsong language, clever rhymes and tonnes of jokes for the reader layered in the text. Sara Ogilvie is a great new match for Donaldson – her whimsical illustrations suit this story so well. This book is destined to become a much-loved classic.
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| Recommended for 5+ |
Circle
Jeanne Baker
$27.99hb
A new book by Jeanne Baker always heralds much celebration and Circle is… Well, it’s simply breathtaking. From the creator of the critically acclaimed Where the Forest Meets the Sea and Mirror, comes a poetic, eco-conscious picture book which explores the complex interdependency of nature. This is the story of the little-known Bar-tailed Godwit who, following invisible pathways that have been used for thousands of years, undertakes the longest unbroken migration of any bird, a total of 11,000 kilometres, flying from their breeding grounds in Alaska across the Pacific Ocean to Australia or New Zealand. Facing hunger and treacherous conditions to reach their destination, their flight is one of bravery, tenacity and strength, and Jeannie's stunning mixed media collages, inspired first-hand by the spectacular landscapes of Alaska and China, will amaze readers, and take them on an extraordinary visual journey to the corners of our Earth. Baker’s pictures are, as ever, incredible, the sort of imagery that children and adults alike pore over for hours and the message is, typically, bang on.
