Sure, plenty of picture books are in rhyme but what we’re talking about here is poetry collections (or anthologies if by different authors).
Kate Wakeling’s The Flying Machine of Dreams could well be the poetry collection to change this!
With her glorious collection of 17 poems, each one delightfully illustrated by Viviane Schwarz, Kate covers a wide range of topics that kids think, question and dream about.
The beauty of bubbles.
The fastest animals (and what the slow ones might do to win a race).
The intrigue of the belly button.
Wiggling worms and nocturnal animals.
Kate Wakeling taps right into the little things that fascinate kids (and adults) with poems that demonstrate that essential quality needed by all writers for children – thinking and wondering like a kid.
Everything unique and sweet about childhood can be found within this book and, for adults, it’s a brief opportunity to remember the fun and playfulness of their younger years, allowing us to embrace our inner child, if only for a moment.
If you’re worried about maintaining your young child’s attention span as you read – don’t be. There is plenty to look at and explore in Vivienne Schwarz’s illustrations, which are bright, bold and wonderfully detailed. For example, can you find the five nocturnal animals hinted at in ‘The Night Animals’ and hidden in the double-page illustration?
The Flying Machine of Dreams should be one book that sits proudly on a child’s bedside table, ready to be devoured cover-to-cover or dipped into again and again.
You’ll definitely want to read each of the poems more than once because, like a good novel (or picture book), there is something new to be discovered with every reading.
Title: The Flying Machine of Dreams – Come aboard for a magical poetry ride
Author: Kate Wakeling
Illustrator: Viviane Schwarz
Publisher: Otter Barry Books (New South Books) $26.99
Publication Date: 6 August 2026
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781915659989
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book Poetry Collection
Kate Wakeling’s The Flying Machine of Dreams could well be the poetry collection to change this!
With her glorious collection of 17 poems, each one delightfully illustrated by Viviane Schwarz, Kate covers a wide range of topics that kids think, question and dream about.
The beauty of bubbles.
The fastest animals (and what the slow ones might do to win a race).
The intrigue of the belly button.
Wiggling worms and nocturnal animals.
Kate Wakeling taps right into the little things that fascinate kids (and adults) with poems that demonstrate that essential quality needed by all writers for children – thinking and wondering like a kid.
Everything unique and sweet about childhood can be found within this book and, for adults, it’s a brief opportunity to remember the fun and playfulness of their younger years, allowing us to embrace our inner child, if only for a moment.
If you’re worried about maintaining your young child’s attention span as you read – don’t be. There is plenty to look at and explore in Vivienne Schwarz’s illustrations, which are bright, bold and wonderfully detailed. For example, can you find the five nocturnal animals hinted at in ‘The Night Animals’ and hidden in the double-page illustration?
The Flying Machine of Dreams should be one book that sits proudly on a child’s bedside table, ready to be devoured cover-to-cover or dipped into again and again.
You’ll definitely want to read each of the poems more than once because, like a good novel (or picture book), there is something new to be discovered with every reading.
Title: The Flying Machine of Dreams – Come aboard for a magical poetry ride
Author: Kate Wakeling
Illustrator: Viviane Schwarz
Publisher: Otter Barry Books (New South Books) $26.99
Publication Date: 6 August 2026
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781915659989
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book Poetry Collection
