Guest Post: Janeen Brian on A Surprise Cover

Many of you are familiar with the illustrative works of Tracie Grimwood. Her colourful geometric, whimsical character portraits feature in picture books such as, Reena's Rainbow and Bo Loves Books. 

Tracie also illustrated the cover for one of our favourite authors, Janeen Brian ; the Notable Award winning mid-grade novel, Eloise and the Bucket of Stars, (Walker Books Australia) but that came about as a ‘surprise cover.’ 

When Janeen revealed the intriguing backstory of the cover image Tracie used on her latest novel, we were all ears ... and eyes! See for yourself.

Cover Reveal: Milly and The Mulberry Tree

We are tickled mulberry-pink and purple to be the first to reveal this beautiful new picture book cover!

Congratulations to the creative duo of CBCA short-listed, Vikki Conley and prolific illustrator, Deb Hudson 

Milly and The Mulberry Tree, published by @EKbooksforkids is a delightful story about the magic of both home and other worlds. Full of vibrant, whimsical illustrations of silk-moths, caterpillars and spooky-mulberry stained dress ups, it explores our ties with nature and places in a way that will resonate with young readers.

Inspired by the 100-year-old mulberry tree that grows in the author's own childhood garden, this is a book full of heart and joy that will be a delight for educators and families to share, particularly for those with nostalgic memories of mulberry trees!

Available now for pre-order online through EK Books.

Due for release in June 2022

Discover more about Vikki with her 12 Curlies author interview or visit her website or Instagram. Connect with Deb via Instagram.

Cover Reveal: This Is My Dad

Did you know, over 10% of households in Australia comprise of a single or primary parent and of those single parents, 82% of them are female? Similar figures exist in countries throughout, New Zealand, the Americas and Europe. 

Until I was promoted by a proactive teacher librarian during a Book Week visit to her school, I was only vaguely aware of these statistics. She highlighted a notable absence of mainstream picture books reflecting children who had never known a ‘father figure’ and or had no significant male model in their lives. 

Like other casual suggestions for book ideas from people in the frontline of education and child care, this was an idea I simply couldn’t let go.

Fortunately, I didn't and in a couple of short months, my latest picture book will hopefully help fill those literary gaps on school library and home bookshelves around the world. This story, illustrated  by Nicky Johnston with generous heart and unfettered affection, is a timely commentary on contemporary family dynamics and societal trends that highlights a situation many children experience within classroom set ups. And so without further ado, it's time to become acquainted with ... 

Guest Post: Q & A with Beth Bailey: Winner of The Guinness World Records 2022 Book Cover Comp!

GWR competition winner Beth Bailey at 11-years-old submitted a drawing of what she thought the cover of the Guinness World Records 2022 should look like and out of thousands of applicants Beth won! 

She is now featured on the GWR 2022 Australian edition. Discover more about Beth and this fantastic experience in this exclusive interview.

Full Name: 

Elizabeth Bailey but everyone calls me Beth!

Age: 

I am 11

Cover Reveal: Oswald Messweather by Dimity Powell

Dimity Powell's writing style is often described as powerful and emotive, laced with humour and lilting language to soften the often sensitive subject matter she tackles. 

The meme, ‘Don’t let your ice cream melt as you count the sprinkles’ resonates strongly with Dimity and not just because she loves ice cream! 

She too shares a tendency to obsess over minutiae, often losing sight of the bigger beautiful picture, which might explain where the idea for her latest picture book came from.

Oswald Messweather, due out mid March 2021 with Wombat Books, is not a picture book that focuses intently on the educational perspectives of children with OCD but rather more on the emotional aspects associated with this debilitating condition. Oswald is caught in the grips of needing to be in control of the messier aspects of his life and like many young children suffering from obsessive worrying and anxieties, wants to stop but can’t. Maybe Oswald's crayons hold the answer. 

By allowing Oswald to take control of his anxieties and employ them with purpose, Oswald gains room to breathe and awareness that they need not govern him. 

Master of crayons (aka the illustrator of Oswald Messweather) is Siobhan McVey who's unique style and carefully considered colour palette allow children to absorb the complexity of this condition in a fun relatable way that both she and Dimity hope will buoy and enlighten. And now...you can see for yourself! We present, Oswald Messweather.

Cover reveal: Little Puggle's Song

Little Puggle’s Song is an enchanting picture book about finding your place, chasing your dreams and overcoming fears.

Puggle wants to sing. But when he tries, no sound comes out. 'I wish I had my own sound, like all the other animals.'

But Puggle knows that echidnas cannot sing. Can Puggle find his voice in time to join the bush choir?

Cover Reveal: The Quest Diaries of Max Crack

Jules Faber is a cartoonist, caricature artist and illustrator.

In addition to his WeirDo books, Jules has illustrated The Kaboom Kid and The Leo Da Vinci series.

He is well-known for conducting regular workshops at schools and learning centres for those wanting to learn more about caricaturing, comic strips, comic book layout, scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation and general cartooning.

Jules has served three terms as President of the Australian Cartoonists Association, the world’s oldest cartoonist’s organisation. But most of all, he loves illustrating children’s books.

The Quest Diaries of Max Crack is the first book he has written and illustrated, and is just the beginning of Max’s adventures! And today we are delighted to reveal the cover of this exciting new series, due out the 27 August 2019.

Cover Reveal: Pippa by Dimity Powell

Pippa is a little pigeon with big blue-sky ambitions: to fly solo and explore the world beyond her nest.

Her parents are less than thrilled with their risk-taking, feathered fledgling and smother her with well-meant yet suffocating warnings until one day she ignores them all and takes the leap into the unknown…alone.

This plucky little pigeon is also the star of my latest picture book, Pippa, which she considers something of a self-titled achievement! She is young, feisty, determined and wilful, just like many youngsters, and she refuses to remain grounded by her parents' overprotective ways.

But what happens when she throws caution to the wind and encounters more adventure than she bargained for? You can find out for yourself this July when Pippa lands in bookshops around Australia.

Masterfully illustrated by Andrew Plant and published by Ford Street Publishing, Pippa is a light-hearted adventure tale about striking out alone, following your dreams and experiencing what it’s like when you get there. I can't wait to introduce her to you. So here she is...!

Cover Reveal: The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford

The Astrid Notes is the exciting new YA novel by Queensland author, Taryn Bashford. We first met Taryn when she introduced us to her debut novel, The Harper Effect, two years ago.

This is but a taste of what's to come...
 
Astrid Bell
Dutiful daughter. Classical singer. Secret pop songwriter. And suffering from stage fright.

Jacob Skalicky.
Trust Fund Kid. Indie singer. Immensely gifted performer. And refusing to sing again.

Are they polar opposites? In his grief and fury at the world, Jacob certainly thinks so.

But when Jacob loses everything and Astrid uncovers a shocking family secret, they may need each other to make sense of their lives.

Today we are tingling to reveal the cover of her forthcoming book due out in July. Here it is...

Cover Reveal: Emily Green's Garden

Spring seems the perfect time
to share this exciting announcement – the imminent release of my new picture book, Emily Green’s Garden, with illustrator Megan Forward.

Cover Reveal: At The End of Holyrood Lane

I love announcements and this time it's something I'm extra excited to shout about ... the imminent arrival of my new picture book, At The End of Holyrood Lane.

Due for release September this year by EK Books, At the End of Holyrood Lane is a metaphorical glimpse at one aspect of domestic violence and how it affects young lives.

It is a tale of anxiety shown through the eyes of a small being with an intense dislike for thunderstorms, a fear shared by many young children.

It is also poignant yet uplifting picture book that deals with domestic violence in a way that provides understanding and offers hope to young children as noted by Paradise Kids Founder, Deirdre Hanna.

'With delicacy, and ultimately hope, Dimity’s lyrical words and Nicky’s evocative illustrations touch on hope in the midst of terror. With beautiful metaphors and symbolism  this book brings to light awareness of children who suffer and who are vulnerable in our society.'

Cover Reveal: Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Giant Moth Mummy! Book Two

Kids all over Egypt Australia have gone mummy-mad for the brand new adventure series Bab Sharkey and the AnimalMummies! 

(You can read our KBR Junior Reviewer's review, here if you don't believe us!)

From a fun and full-on campaign to launch the first book in the series, The Weird Beard, kids everywhere have been making – and sporting – magic Pharaoh’s Beards, snorting with laughter at the selfish ways of the Unpharaoh (who in turn snorts fireballs from her own nostrils!), and delving like archaeologists into the adventures of Bab and his new bandaged friends Scaler the Fish Mummy and Prong the Ibis Mummy!

Cover Reveal: World Map

It's not every day one gets a chance to rediscover the world. Now you can, in full glorious colour thanks to Tania McCartney's stunning new Illustrated World Map.
 
For curious adventurers who never stop exploring, this stunning, large-format map is a modern take on exploring the world, from the highest mountain to the deepest surrounding sea.

Cover Reveal: Maya and Cat

Announcing something new and more than a tiny bit special. Soft cat paw drumbeats for...

On a roof, as wet as a seal, as grey as a puddle, Cat was rumbling, a rumbly purr. What does Cat want most? Feather boas? Pretty pink shoelaces? A boatful of fish under a tiny tin sail – or perhaps something much more valuable?

Walker Books have a super adorable picture book called Maya and Cat coming out in August. Affectionate and evocative, Maya and Cat follows a child’s kindly impulse to an unexpected conclusion. Maya and Cat is by renowned author/illustrator Caroline Magerl. 

Caroline’s stunning artwork has been exhibited widely overseas and in Australia, in 2001 she won the Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award for new talent in children's book illustration for her picture book Grandma's Shoes (written by Libby Hathorn). 

Interview: Kate DiCamillo & Harry Bliss on Good Rosie!

Rosie is a good dog and a faithful companion to her owner, George. She likes taking walks with George and looking at the clouds together. But the closest she comes to another dog is when she encounters her reflection in her empty dog bowl, and sometimes that makes Rosie feel lonely.

One day George decides to take Rosie to the dog park, but the park is full of dogs that Rosie doesn’t know, which makes her feel lonelier than ever. So when big, loud Maurice and small, yippy Fifi bound over and want to play, Rosie’s not sure how to respond. Is there a trick to making friends? And if so, can they all figure it out together?

This acclaimed author-illustrator duo creates a new take on the joys of finding your pack. Full of humour and pathos, Good Rosie! is a must-have book for dog lovers and, as Kate says, about 'meeting your people' out later this year. Join us today for this fascinating and entertaining conversation with Rosie's creators, Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss.

Announcement: New Reviewer Penelope Pratley

We adore expanding our KBR family with vibrant and enthusiastic individuals who adore children's literature as much as we do.

Penelope Pratley is one such person who's life centres around creating, absorbing and sharing divine stories for children.

You may recall, we invited Penelope to share her illustrative secrets with us earlier this year. If not, here is her Meet the Illustrator interview.

Kids' Book Review is jumping-cow happy to have Penelope join our spirited little team and can't wait to share her reviews with you. Meantime, take a moment to get to know her better.

Cover Reveal: The Harper Effect

We are thrilled to feature the first of two cover reveals for The Harper Effect today: 

The Harper Effect Australian Cover (December 2017, Pan MacMillan)

The Harper Effect USA Cover (May 2018)

Perfect summer reading, The Harper Effect is the debut novel from Australian author, Taryn Bashford. It’s a fast-paced rollercoaster of a read, set in the world of International Tennis and filled with emotional highs and lows, an unexpected love triangle, friendship and family. Centred around an inspiring protagonist who dreams big and is forced to dig deep, Taryn shines a spotlight on the world of professional sports and the dedication, passion and resilience demanded of elite athletes.

Here's a sneak peak of this exciting new YA novel from the author herself .

News: White Night Cover Reveal

Our friends at Allen & Unwin are releasing Ellie Marney’s exciting new YA book White Night (March 2018). It’s My Sister Rosa meets The Boundless Sublime with the sexual tension of the Every series. They've just finalised the cover and  are all completely in love with it and can’t wait to share it with the world.

Here's a sneak peak of what's to come in White Night.

In Bo Mitchell's country town, a 'White Night' light-show event has the potential to raise vital funds to save the skate park. 

And out of town, a girl from a secretive off-the-grid community called Garden of Eden has the potential to change the way Bo sees the world. But are there too many secrets in Eden? 

As Bo is drawn away from his friends and towards Rory, he gradually comes to believe that Eden may not be utopia after all, and that their group leader's goal to go off the grid may be more permanent - and more dangerous - than anyone could have predicted.

News: La La La Cover Reveal

The Walker Books Group are thrilled to share the cover of a new picture book for young readers by two-time Newbery Award winner Kate DiCamillo entitled La La La: A Story of Hope, illustrated by #1 New York Times bestselling artist Jaime Kim, to be published in October 2017.

A nearly wordless picture book, La La La follows a lonely young girl as she journeys from one fantastical world into another, sharing her own unique song in a poignant quest for friendship and connection. Its powerful and timeless message of hope will inspire and move readers of all ages.

Working from Kate DiCamillo's unique story concept, Jaime Kim's rich and graphic illustrations bring this universally appealing tale beautifully to life. This will be the first picture book release for DiCamillo in nearly ten years.