Weekend Reads round-up: 4 October: part one

Where the heart is.

Written by Shirley Marr.

Illustrations by Michael Speechley.

Walker Books Australia, 2026.

Australian.

Picture book.

I honestly thought this was a northern hemisphere book – it is very European. Migration due to winter wouldn’t have been a very Australian thing, I would have thought.

Anyway, some possible read-alikes:

• The longer the wait, the bigger the hug by Eion McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar.
• Any room for me? by Loek Koopmans. 
• Be back soon by Anna Wilson and Jenny Bloomfield.
• Somewhere for Little Bear by Britta Teckentrup.
• Stay awake, Bear! by Gavin Bishop. NZ author. 
• The big dreaming by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.

 

Pō mārie, my moko.

Written by Casey Kaa.

Illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aoteara.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Weaves te ao Māori, mātauranga Māori, throughout.

Possible read-alikes:

• A day with Yayah by Nicola I. Campbell and Julie Flett.
• Going down home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and Danile Minter.
• Jeong is jeong by Jessica Yoon and Michelle Lee.
• Lots of love from Grandma by Tracey Tasker and Monika Filipina.
• Grandad’s world by Michael Foreman.
• We go slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker. 

Deli days.

Written by Jenna Rothberg.

Illustrated by Marta Pantaleo.

Scribble, 2026.

Picture book.

A debut picture book deeply rooted in the author’s personal memories and family heritage.

Possible read-alikes:

• My nonna loves by Adelle Frittitta and Claudia Frittitta.
• Stay for dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira.
• Going fishing with Nana by Frances and Lindsay Haji-Ali, and Karen Briggs.
• The cafe at the edge of the woods by Mikey Please.

George and the Dragon.

Written and illustrated by Christopher Wormell.

Penguin Random House UK, 2019.

Picture book.

This went down a treat in my house with the 65+ year olds – nearly universal appeal.

It didn’t go where any of my house expected, which adds to the fun.

Possible read-alikes:

• Not now, Bernard by David mcKee.
• A mouse just ate my house! by Kes Gray and Sebastien Braun.
• Baby Kraken by Ani Manzanas.
• No climbing by Ross Collins.
• The monster in the lake by Leo Timmers; translated by Bill Nagelkerke. NZ translator. 
• The monster at the end of this book by Jon Stone and Mike Smollin. 

Hīkoi: a Māori alphabet book for little (and not-so-little) activists.

Written by Pania Tahau-Hodges.

Illustrated by Josie Selkirk.

Also available in a te reo Māori version Toitū.

Aotearoa.  Picture book.

I heard this book, and its genesis, earlier this year. I have been waiting ever since. I am so glad that the team chose to stay with the te reo Māori alphabet letters and order.

There is nothing quite like this, but you could try:

• The greatest haka festival on Earth by Pania Tahau-Hodges and Story Hemi-Morehouse. Te reo Māori edition Mokopuna Matatini.
• Love is powerful by Heather Dean Brewer and LeUyen Pham.
• A is for activist by Innosanto Nagara.
• Change sings: a children's anthem by Amanda Gorman and Loren Long.
• Sometimes people march by Tessa Allen. 
• Speak up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. 
• Stand up! Speak up!: a story inspired by the climate change revolution by Andrew Joyner. 

Back in my day.

Written by Kevin Nemeth.

Illustrated by Brent Wilson

Affirm Press, 2026

Australian.

Picture book.

Tall tales and stereotypes. Right until the end.

Possible read-alikes:

• Daddy, tell me a story by Kathleen Long Bostrom and Ela Smietanka.
• A hatful of dreams by Bob Graham.
• Put your records on by Corinne Bailey Rae and Gillian Eilidh O'Mara.
• We became jaguars by Dave Eggers and Woodrow White. 

Tiki and Jill and the Great Australian Camel Race.

Written by Kate Simpson and Dr Jill Colwell.

Illustrated by Craig Smith.

Allen & Unwin, 2026.

Australian.

Sophisticated picture book.

Biography.

What a fascinating piece of history!

Possible read-alikes:

• Hoosh!: camels in Australia by Janeen Brian.
• Animal helpers: how animals from around the world help us by Ben Hubbard and Sara Ugolotti.
• Nala's world by Dean Nicholson and Frann Preston-Gannon.
• Bandoola: the great elephant rescue by William Grill.

 

Bowerbird brave.

Written and illustrated by Aura Parker.

Scholastic Australia, 2026.

Australian.

Picture book.

Part of a series about Bowerbird.

A bit meh. Very earnest. 

Possible read-alikes / read-insteads:

• Lena the chicken (but really a dinosaur!) by Linda Bailey and K-Fai Steele.
• The magic scarf by Em Cosh.
• The mice of Mushroom Forest by Zanna Goldhawk.
• What the crow saw below by Robert Tregoning and Greg Stobbs.

 

Here come the aunties!

Written by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Illustrated by Aphelandra.

Heartdrum, 2026.

Indigenous creator.

Picture book.

Although set in the Muscogee Nation, the message is nearly universal. Aunties are definitely important, and that crosses cultures. They’re not all biological, either.

Possible read-alikes:

• Summer is for cousins by Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar.
• Seasons by the lake: adventures in Greenland by Naja Lund Aparico and Alex Nees.  
• My cousins, my world by Sharara Attai and Michelle Pereira.
• What will my story be? by Nidhi Chanani.
• The beautiful layers of me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane. 

Gigantic.

Written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph.

HarperCollins Children's Books, 2023.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Determination. Being yourself. Small is mighty.

Possible read-alikes:

• Wowee! look at that tree! by Ben Knight.
• The blue tomato by Amber Aü.
• Rory the remarkable dragon by Kathryn Rammell.
• A different dragon by Nick Gill and Luma Wildish.
• The lion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.