I am gravity.
Written by Henry Herz.
Illustrated by Mercè López.
Tilbury House Publishers, 2024.
Non-fiction.
Lyrical prose non-fiction.
Families of a feather: a celebration of family diversity.
Written by Fern Wexler.
Illustrated by Kelsey Buzzell.
Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, 2025.
Non-fiction.
Who knew bird families were so diverse? From solo parents –
both dads and mums – to groups to same-sex couples – all are represented.
The ordinary life of Jacominus Gainsborough. [Originally
published in French as Les riches heures de Jacominus Gainsborough.]
Written and illustrated by Rébecca Dautremer.
Translated by Charis Ainslie.
Post Wave Children's Books, 2025.
Sophisticated picture book.
One to savour and ponder over. But, may be more for adults,
as children may not appreciate the lessons, or historical details within the
illustrations.
Nightsong.
Written and illustrated by Sally Soweol Han.
University of Queensland Press, 2023.
Australian.
Picture book.
Listening to the world, and the noise made at night –
without the din and bustle of the humanmade world.
The world entire: a true story of an extraordinary World War
II rescue.
Written by Elizabeth Brown.
Illustrated by Melissa Castrillón.
Chronicle Books, 2025.
Non-fiction.
Meet Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat who
went against the wishes of his government, and wrote thousands of visas for
fleeing Jewish refugees.
There is a list at the beginning, of many diplomats who did
similar things, amongst them the Japanese consul in Lithuania Chiune Sugihara –
and you can read his story in Passage to freedom: the Sugihara story.
Sand cakes.
Written by Kallie George.
Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth.
Tundra, 2025.
Picture book
Beyond mud pies – this is a riot of imaginative play told in
rhythmic rhyming text.
The Kerfuffle. [Originally published in French as L'embrouille.]
Written and illustrated by Clotilde Perrin.
Translated by Daniel Hahn.
Picture book.
Die cut pages flaps enhance this story of neighbourly
warfare.
Cinderella - with dogs!
Written by Linda Bailey.
Illustrated by Freya Hartas.
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025.
Picture book.
Fractured / retold fairy tale.
Who knew you needed a fairy DOG-mother, rather than
godmother?
Read with: Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson and Kevin
O’Malley.
Little Puggle's dance.
Written by Vikki Conley.
Illustrated by Hélène Magisson.
New Frontier Publishing, 2025.
Picture book.
Very cute, like an Australian themed version of Giraffes
can’t dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees (which has better rhymes).
Princess battle royale.
Written by Phaea Crede.
Illustrated by Jen Hill.
Viking, 2025.
Picture book.
An incredibly silly book – but so much fun!
A less-silly unexpected princess book is The princess and
the pit stop by Tom Angleberger and Dan Santat.
Snuggle season.
Written and illustrated by Jaimie MacGibbon.
Quirk Books, 2025.
Picture book.
A comforting rhyming book about the joys of winter and
snuggling.
Electric birds of Pothakudi. [Origianlly published in French
as Les oiseaux electriques de Pothakudi].
Written by Karthika Nair.
Illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet.
Tate Gallery, 2025.
Sophisticated picture book.
Sparked (sorry) by a true story – this is a community and
nature centric story which is solidly (and magically) set in rural India.
A dog and his boy.
Written by Joy Cowley.
Illustrated by Philip Webb.
Copy Press, 2025.
Aotearoa New Zealand.
Picture book.
Rhyming text carries the story of a dog who does his best
for his best friend.
If you like butterflies.
Written by Lola M. Schaefer.
Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska.
Christy Ottaviano Books, Little, Brown and Company, 2025.
Sophisticated picture book.
Non-fiction.
So many butterflies! With facts and amazing illustrations.
The riding lesson.
Written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann.
Walker Books Ltd, 2025.
Sophisticated picture book.
Frances knows about horses – but that’s put to the test when
she has the chance to ride a real one.
Interesting note: that the family who own the horses and
stables are not the obviously white characters.
Going fishing with Nana.
Written by Frances and Lindsay Haji-Ali.
Illustrated by Karen Briggs.
Magabala Books, 2025.
Picture book.
Indigenous creators / First Nations.
Australian.
Rhyming text with Australian outback animals, and counting
by twos and multiplication. A gem.
Read with: Going for pippies by Wilaaran Hunter
Laurie and Tori-hjay Mordey; Ten scared fish by Ros Moriarty and
Balarinji; One lonely kākāpō by Sandra Morris.
Karamū and Maiao.
Written by Lynne Harata Te Aika.
Artwork by Kaitiaki Studios.
Tauti Mai Ltd, 2025.
Picture book.
Indigenous creators / Māori.
Aotearoa New Zealand.
English text with a lot of te reo Māori. Set in
Christchurch, Aotearoa. Introduces local wildlife and explains tikanga
(customs) like rāhui [https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/6420].
The unicorn who came to school.
Written by Lucy Rowland.
Illustrated by Mike Byrne.
Scholastic, 2025.
Picture book.
Rhyming text.
Chaotic fun and silliness.
Bert and the bubble: a story about sharing.
Written and illustrated by Kim Hillyard.
Ladybird Books, 2025.
Picture book.
Worthy.
The dress with 100 pockets.
Written by Lily Murray.
Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie.
Sequel to A dress with pockets.
Why have one pocket, when you can have 100! All with special
purposes. Rhyming cadence, like a traditional rhyme.
Over or under?
Written by Pip Harry.
Illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper.
Australian.
Picture book.
Body surfing and ocean awareness.
Peta Pūkeko.
Written and illustrated by Nana Sharleen.
Translation by Sandy Ngāmoki and Edith Rolls.
Sharleen Forbes, 2024.
Aotearoa New Zealand.
Picture book.
Bilingual.
Pūkeko lifecycle. Worthy. Message forward.
A good night's sleep.
Written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark.
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2025.
Picture book.
A book about problem solving, and getting a good night’s
sleep.
Pow!
Written and illustrated by Neil Clark.
Ladybird Books, 2023.
Picture book.
Finding was to deal with worries and fears. Mainly – using
the power pose. Which is a bit worrying, as the power pose isn’t fully accepted
– mostly debunked.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_posing#Replication_failures_and_meta-analyses]
The boy who painted the world.
Written and illustrated by Tom McLaughlin.
Oxford University Press, 2024.
Picture book.
Art, and being unconvinced that they have any artistic
ability.
Read with Ish by Peter H. Reynolds; Sometimes a
dragon by Viviane Schwarz;
Dot! scribble! go! by Hervé Tullet.
This way up.
Written and illustrated by Tom Percival.
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025.
Picture book.
Perspective – what is up? What is down?
Read along with The Sneetches by Dr Seuss; Inside
cat by Brendan Wenzel.
A pocket full of rocks.
Written by Kristin Mahoney.
Illustrated by E.B. Goodale.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2025.
Picture book.
A wonderful way to look at the progress of the seasons.
Brave: a story about children's arthritis.
Written by Rachel Weston.
Illustrated by Richard Hoit.
Kids with Arthritis NZ Charitable Trust, 2025.
Aotearoa New Zealand.
Picture book.
Life living with arthritis as a child, with bits of
information about how it is different to adult arthritis. Includes
accommodations made at school to help.
The girl who tested the waters: Ellen Swallow, environmental
scientist.
Written by Patricia Daniele.
Illustrated by Junyi Wu.
MIT Kids Press, 2025.
Non-fiction.
Biography.
Sophisticated picture book.
Miffy and the artists.
Written and illustrated by Dick Bruna.
Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2025.
Picture book.
Interesting premise: comparing Miffy illustrations to famous
art, and encouraging the reader to try their hand, or answer questions.
The Pigeon won't count to 10!
Written and illustrated by Mo Willems.
Union Square Kids, 2025.
Board book.
Ah, The Pigeon. Great piece of reverse psychology.
Sun bird: the amazing journey of the Arctic tern.
Written and illustrated by Lindsay Moore.
Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2025.
Non-fiction.
Sophisticated picture book.
Another recent, and similar, book is Small, speckled egg
by Mary Auld.
Brave bears don't get scared.
Written by Suzy Senior.
Illustrated by Eleonora De Pieri.
Picture book.
Rhyming text.
Cutesy, but reassuring.
Refuge.
Written by Anne Booth. Illustrated by Sam Usher.
Nosy Crow, 2025.
In your face comparison of the birth of Jesus and his family
as refugees.
Sky & Ty. 1, Howdy, partner!
Written and illustrated by Steve Breen.
Pixel+Ink, 2024.
Graphic novel.
First chapter book graphic novel.
Dino poet. 1.
Written and illustrated by Tom Angleberger.
Abrams Fanfare, 2025.
Graphic novel.
Sneaky education about poetry.
The fire-breathing duckling.
Written and illustrated by Frank Cammuso.
TOON Books, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers,
2025.
First graphic novel, great for beginning readers.
A related picture book is Spreckle’s snack surprise
by Sandra Salsbury.
Ducky the spy: expect the unexpected!
Written and illustrated by Sean E Avery.
Walker Books Australia, 2024.
Graphic novel.
I’m not comfortable with the stereotyping found in this.
Cabin Head and Tree Head. 1.
Written and illustrated by Scott Campbell.
Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2025.
I’m not sure about this one – it could just be too weird for
me.
The sky was my blanket: a young man's journey across wartime
Europe.
Written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz.
Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2025.
Simple, yet powerful, biography.
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