Guest Post: Joanne Sorley on How Colour and Metaphor Help Children Talk About Emotions

Children feel deeply long before they can explain what’s happening inside them.

As adults, we’re comfortable using abstract words like sad, worried, or overwhelmed. But for young children, those words can feel fuzzy and far away. When emotions rise, asking a child to 'use their words' often comes at exactly the moment when words are hardest to find.

Guest Post: Shannon Stevens on Knowing When To Talk About It

When do you talk about it? I mean, when do you explain to your child that differences are treasures?

I work with little ones and their families every day. I am an Occupational Therapist that provides home and community-based services to the birth to three population. I join them in every moment of life for sometimes a period of 36 months.

I am welcomed into their homes, I sit on their floor, I sometimes join them in a cup of coffee and I kiss their babies. I am so comfortable in this element that I now cannot understand or even see colour, creed, or sexual differences.

My job is to NOT see differences, but to see POSSIBILITIES. My values are to promote the inherent good in people and the capabilities we all share. 

Farewell, Dimity

After a whopping nine years of dedication to Kids’ Book Review, our Managing Editor, Dimity Powell, is moving on from KBR. 

We want to thank her for the time, energy and passion she has contributed to the site over the years. 

Her commitment has helped shape KBR into the vibrant community it is today—and her efforts have been appreciated by readers, book creators, publishers and the entire team. 

We wish Dimity all the very best in her authorly creative pursuits, and we hope this next chapter brings exciting new opportunities. 

Tania McCartney 

Founder, Kids’ Book Review

Guest Post: Miranda Sheppard On Turning Kids' Everyday Worries Into Wins

Children face everyday worries long before they have the language or confidence to name them, and how those moments are met can shape the way they learn to navigate challenges over time.

Every worry explored in The Blooms is one my daughter and I have moved through together. They’re the small, everyday worries that surface in early childhood — the kind that can feel overwhelming to a young person, yet are often difficult for adults to address without brushing them aside or unintentionally making them feel bigger than they are. 

As I began speaking with other parents, I realised just how common these moments were, and how many of us were quietly unsure how best to respond.

Review: Once I Was A Giant

I was fortunate enough to see the drafts and incomplete storyboard of Once I Was A Giant when meeting Zeno Sworder in person for the first time some eighteen or so months ago. Both experiences were profoundly moving and memorable.

Which pretty much sums up this extraordinary picture book. With no preamble, the Giant’s story begins, at the ending, with a premise that could easily reflect a reoccurring dilemma for many creators; a stymie of creative flow. 

When the picture book maker, with a strong resemblance to the author himself, experiences this impasse, his trusty pencil inexplicably springs to life.

The wee stub shows him her life’s journey from germinating seed to grand dame of her forest kingdom. We are taken through life cycle after life cycle. From a sapling’s view point to that of a towering giant’s, residence to a whole eco-system of invertebrates, animals and birds. It is a wondrous and all-encompassing experience to stand before this giant and gaze skyward at her unfathomable brilliance, so strong, so assured, so steadfast.

Review: Powerful Like A Dragon

A dragon is proud, strong, kind. Be powerful like a dragon.

Words that bolster and build incentive to never give up. Never give in. Especially to the ravages and horrors of war. 

One would think that stories centred around this theme would be a thing of the past and yet, the plight of refugees displaced by senseless conflicts remains a global concern to this day.

Powerful Like a Dragon is a compelling piece of storytelling based on award-winning author, Christopher Cheng’s real-life family history. Caught in the grips of invasion in the midst of World War II, many of Cheng’s extended family made the life-saving decision to flee their homeland in Hong Kong and seek refuge in China.

A Very KBR Christmas! 2025

It's that time of the year again when the KBR team like to do their bit for the festive season. This year's question has the potential to give SC the rest he deserves - or at least, according to some of our responses - relieve him of a few calories! So without further ado, from us to you all, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Question: If you could relieve Santa of just one task this Christmas this season, what would it be and why?

Tania – KBR Founder: Oh, Santa – talk about overloaded! I would 100% relieve Santa of his children’s picture book deliveries, for two reasons… Firstly so I could take a peek and enjoy them all before delivery (remember that time stands still on Christmas Eve, so yes, I’ll be able to read them ALL… with a mug of gingerbread hot chocolate, of course).

And secondly so I could take note of all the addresses they were delivered to. Then I could pop back on Christmas morning to peek down the chimney and watch the wide-eyed delight as little ones unwrap their books and tumble into magical stories from all over the world.

Guest Post: Margrete Lamond on Gilbert's Cake

Gilbert’s Cake is the story of our story …

Readers often wonder where story ideas come from. They come from many places, but rarely from as deep a place as Gilbert’s Cake.

As author Emily Mir explains, ‘Our first baby, Gilbert, was stillborn in 2010. Two years later, we welcomed Gilbert’s twin siblings. As young children, the twins wanted a party, complete with balloons and a cake, to mark Gilbert's birthday. It was painful at first, but an annual tradition began. Gilbert’s Cake is the story of our story.’

After working with families who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth, Emily was inspired to share her family’s story of love, loss . . . and pelicans. 

Emily is both a counsellor and a bereaved mother, and hopes her story sparks joy and love as well as evoking holistic ways of healing in the face of loss and trauma.

Guest Post: Danuza Silva on Heartbreak, Healing and Writing For Children

Gold Coast based children’s author Danuza Silva is on a mission to improve the mental health of children. What began as a personal coping mechanism soon became a message Danuza knew needed to be shared with children everywhere ...

For a long time, I believed life had already thrown every curveball it could at me. I grew up marked by losses, first my parents and grandparents, all passing when I was very young, and later the grandmother who raised my siblings and me after we lost our parents.

From childhood, I understood resilience not as a choice but as a necessity. I dreamed of creating the kind of loving family I never had the chance to grow up with, one full of warmth, stability, and affection.

And, for a while, I had it. I married a wonderful man and we were blessed with our beautiful daughter, Sophie. Life felt whole. 

Review: Mrs Claus

This review might be brief (I’ve pressies to wrap) but it comes full to the brim of hearty recommendation, mirth and, let it be known, yes – relief! 

I heard myself describing my seasonal anxiety to an unsuspecting shop owner recently after her husband offhandedly assured me, ‘everything will be fine’. 

She and I then confessed to each other, that ‘fine’ wholly depended on ‘us’. Meaning, ‘I am Christmas’.

So, imagine the mollification I just about drowned in after reading, Mrs Claus. In short, my pick of the fictional festive-flavoured picture book offerings for the kiddies (and their Santa-moonlighting mamas or papas) this year.

Review: A Barney Gumnut Christmas

‘What does Christmas actually mean?’

It’s a question that needs answering because Barney Gumnut and his bushland friends are tree-deep in Christmas Eve preparations. 

Each Aussie inspired critter including Wilfred the Budgie, has their own take on this festive time of year.

Suggestions are made. Convictions confirmed that Christmas is … 

Guest Post: Catherine Bauer on Juniper's Painting and the Passing Of Storms

In the dairy section of my local supermarket one recent Saturday morning, I was deep in thought and struggling to decide between two yoghurt flavours. Stick with the familiar or try something new?

An ear-splitting screech interrupted these thoughts and seconds later, a fully laden trolley slammed into my back, almost knocking me off my feet.

Stifling an expletive, I turned to see a crimson-faced, tight-fisted child prostrate on the floor, screaming his lungs out as his equally crimson-cheeked Mum rushed to retrieve the trolley and apologise profusely.

'Sorry, sorry,’' she sputtered. 'He wants an ice-cream.’

Guest Post: Jodie McLeod on The Power Of WOW

Birds are an inspiration for books: Jodie McLeod (left) with illustrator Eloise Short

The first time I saw a lyrebird I was completely gobsmacked. I’d just moved to the Blue Mountains, and I’d heard of these strange creatures and their ability to imitate everything from other birds to chainsaws and crying babies, but I hadn’t really considered the outrageousness of that idea.

Then, one misty Mountains morning, a cacophony of birds sounded in my backyard. Well, not birds, but – bird. A lyrebird. Putting on a spectacular show, just for me.

WOW.

Guest Post: Fiona Dalwood on When Ghosts Hide In Plain Sight

I used to look out of the train during my commutes and notice graffiti in unusual places. 

How did someone manage a giant wheat paste on a wall without being seen? Did a hooded figure dangle someone upside down from the thirty-second floor? Had they taught themselves to draw and write upside down? 

These short glimpses sparked countless questions—moments that felt magical in their mystery or mildly frightening, depending on how tired I was.

Announcement: 2025 Karajia and Environment Award Winners

Stories that connect kids to Country and nature: 2025 Karajia and Environment Award winners announced.

The Wilderness Society has announced the winners of the 2025 Karajia and Environment Awards for Children’s Literature, which celebrates authors and illustrators whose stories inspire young readers to understand, love, and care for the natural world.

Now in its 31st year, the Environment Award for Children’s Literature recognises books that nurture curiosity about the environment: from the soil below to the canopy above. The Karajia Award, launched in 2022, honours First Nations storytellers sharing stories about connections to Country, culture, and community.

“Books we read as children shape who we become,” said Wilderness Society CEO Matt Brennan. “Stories like these can spark a lifelong relationship with nature and a sense of responsibility to care for it. These awards celebrate the power of storytelling to connect us with Country and each other.” And the winners are ...

Review: Where Shall We Go Today?

Summer holidays, a time of endless possibilities and unfettered adventures. Anything and everything are possible because holiday plans and expectations know no boundaries.

It’s precisely this spirit of joie de vivre that a closeknit group of neighbourhood kids invest on their holidays together. 

And just like the sensitively portrayed array of cultures and countries they embrace, so too do their travel aspirations take on an international flair.

Announcement: Love Your Bookshop Day 2025!

Ngiyampaa/Ngemba, Dutch and Irish artist Emma Sjaan Beukers brings the magic of bookshops to life for Love Your Bookshop Day

BookPeople, the association representing Australian booksellers, has today unveiled the official theme and artwork for this year’s national Love Your Bookshop Day(LYBD) campaign, created by artist Emma Sjaan Beukers, whose Ngiyampaa/Ngemba, Dutch and Irish heritage informs her vibrant, storytelling approach.

Following a public call-out to local illustrators across the country, the association commissioned the Naarm-based artist to bring to life the 2025 theme – Discover the magic. Discover you.

Guest Post: Vanessa Maiorano on What Cancer Taught Me About Being A Mum

Motherhood has always been portrayed as this messy, magical, all-consuming love story. 

You imagine the baby cuddles, the tired eyes, the giggles, the growth. You prepare for long nights, teething, tantrums, and heart-melting milestones. 

But what I never prepared for was parenting while battling cancer.

I was diagnosed just weeks after giving birth to my second child. At a time when I was meant to be soaking up the newborn phase, adjusting to life as a mum of two, and holding my toddler’s hand through her own big emotions, I found myself staring down a fight for my life.

Guest Post: Dr. Stephanie Gutnik on What Readers (of All Ages) Can Learn From Children's Books

The story goes that from the time I could carry a book, I would arrange a stack next to my mom or dad and read for hours. I enjoyed everything from the glimmering illustrations in The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister to the silly and soothing sounds of rhythm and rhymes by Robert Munsch.

My parents’ consistent efforts of reading to me led to a pastime of reading on my own. The return on their investment was never having to hear 'I’m bored' from their oldest child, whose nose was always in a book.

Review: Childish

There’s a lot of childishness in this book. Also copious amounts of humour and heart which are the welcome hallmarks of Morris Gleitzman narratives. 

Like many of Gleitzman’s tales, Childish is a collision of inane and razor-sharp intellect, resulting in an invitation to think deeper and go further.

Arkie and Dot are phenomenal kid heroes. Arkie is from the bush. Dot is city minded and part of her family’s dumpling dynasty located within the city burbs. 

With things going sour in the bush, Arkie is jettisoned to live with Nan in the city until his parents can sell the family farm and join him.

Armed with typical Aussie bush stoicism, Arkie’s straightforward integrity matches Dot’s can-do, uncompromising disposition and grit beautifully. This is a merry match despite its infancy and one that is a delight to follow as the friends try their best shake local council and the utility companies into action.