World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Oceania

  

Light and colour.

Edited by Corey Tutt.

Hardie Grant Children, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Light from our Sun and other sources is all around, bringing colour, heat and energy. Over time, humans have harnessed light to create fire, fluorescent light and even scientific equipment like lasers. But light and colour are tricky. Too much or too little light changes our body chemistry, when it bends it can fool our eyes, and it can even act like a wave or a particle. Explore what First Australians and scientists have learned about the incredible properties of light and colour.

Part of a series which includes Numbers in Nature, Earth’s changing surfaces, Animal survival.

A wonderful synthesis of Australian First Nations knowledge and science, with Western science.

Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part two

Are you a banana?

Written and illustrated by Robert Starling.

Pat-a-Cake, 2025.

Board book.

Flaps.

A riot of a read.

Possible read-alikes:

• Banana, banana, banana! by Sarah Finan.
• Yellow is a banana by John Himmelman.
• Are you a frog? by Robert Starling.
• Pairs in the garden by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Lorna Scobie.
• Tractors have wings!: a vehicles book with cutouts by Becky Davies and Gareth Lucas.
• Dinosaur surprise! by Rebecca Gardyn Levington and Teresa Bellon.
• Guess who's getting dressed by Smriti Halls and Marta Altés. 

Lost: stories of people, places, and things lost throughout history.

Written by Tom Adams.

Illustrated by Daniela Martín Del Campo.

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Pirates, pharaohs, places, and people – an interesting collection of ‘lost’ things.

Possible read-alikes:

• Lost tombs and treasure by Linda Barghoorn.
• Historium by Jo Nelson and Richard Wilkinson.
• Amazing treasures: 100+ objects and places that will boggle your mind by David Long and Muti.
• This day in history for kids: 1,001 remarkable moments & fascinating facts by Dan Bova and Russell Shaw.
• Hidden wonders: discover our planet's best-kept secrets by Nicole Maggi and Kate Baker.

 

The grumpy ghost upstairs.

Written and illustrated by Mamiko Shiotani.

Translated from the Japanese by Polly Lawson.

Floris Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Translation.

Uncertainty and being scared of new situations and people.

Possible read-alikes:

• Gustavo the shy ghost by Flavia Z. Drago.
• The coziest place on the moon by Maria Popova and Sarah Jacoby.
• There's a ghost in this house by Oliver Jeffers.
• Hardly haunted by Jessie Sima.
• The little ghost who was a quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler.
• Aggie and the ghost by Matthew Forsythe.
• How to make friends with a ghost by Rebecca Green.

Penny & Pip.

Written by Candace Fleming.

Illustrated by Eric Rohmann.

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023.

Picture book.

A dream! Going to the museum and ending up adopting a dinosaur!

Possible read-alikes:

• One cool friend by Toni Buzzeo and David Small.
• Have you seen my invisible dinosaur? by Helen Yoon.
• Penelope Rex and the problem with pets by Ryan T. Higgins.
• Leo's Lobo by Melissa Cristina Márquez and Maria Gabriela Gama. 

Nora notices.

Written and illustrated by Tegan Moss.

Little Book Press, 2025

Picture book.

A world of imagination when you go out with Nora.

Possible read-alikes:

• Nothing ever happens on a gray day by Grant Snider.
• We go slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker.
• Tiny by Laura Stitzel.
• Tiny worlds by Brittany Cicchese. 
• The spaces in between by Jaspreet Kaur and Manjit Thapp.
• Look by Gabi Snyder and Samantha Cotterill.
• The bridges by Tom Percival.
• The Think-Ups! by Claire Alexander.
• Slowly, slowly by Toni Yuly. 

The bin monster.

Written and illustrated by Annabelle Hale.

Affirm Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Australian.

What is causing the disaster of bin day?

Possible read-alikes:

• Winner winner, bin chicken dinner by Kate and Jol Temple, and Ronojoy Ghosh.
• Rajah Street by Myo Yim.
• The Gang by Michel Streich.
• The bear out there by Jess Hannigan.
• The monster in the lake by Leo Timmers, translated by Bill Nagelkerke. 

Great Elizabethans: HM Queen Elizabeth II & 25 amazing Britons from her reign.

Written by Imogen Russell Williams.

Illustrated by Sara Mulvanny.

Nosy Crow, 2022.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A diverse group of the famous, and not-so-famous. There are activists and athletes, scientists and storytellers.

Possible read-alikes:

• Kia kaha: a storybook of Māori who changed the world by Stacey Morrison, Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa; and Jeremy Sherlock, Tainui, Ngāti Awa.
• Dare to be different: inspirational words from people who changed the world by Ben Brooks and Quinton Winter.
• Talking history by Joan Haig, Joan Lennon, and André Ducci.
• Little people, big dreams treasury: 50 stories of brilliant dreamers by María Isabel Sánchez Vegara. 

The forever bear.

Written by Lu Fraser.

Illustrated by Pippa Curnick.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Teddy bears are magic.

Possible read-alikes:

• Bear is a bear by Jonathan Stutzman and Dan Santat.
• The Winter wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean.
• The Library of Bears by Cat Rabbit.
• Abdullah's bear needs a name! by Yasmin Hanif and Sophie Benmouyal.
• Freddy the not-Teddy by Kristen Schroeder and Hilary Jean Tapper.
• The witchling's wish by Lu Fraser and Sarah Massini.
• Invasion of the unicorns by David Biedrzycki. 

Yellow is a banana.

Written and illustrated by John Himmelman.

Abrams Appleseed, 2025.

Picture book.

An argument about colour and perception.

Possible read-alikes:

• Red is not angry, blue is not sad by Alicia Acosta, Luis Amavisca, and Anuska Allepuz.
• One world, many colours by Ben Lerwill and Alette Straathof.
• Are your stars like my stars? by Leslie Helakoski and Heidi Woodward Sheffield.
• They say blue by Jillian Tamaki.
• Let's look at colours by Marion Deuchars. 

Iron Robin.  

Written by Rose Tremain.

Illustrated by Richard Jones.

Puffin Books, 2023.

Picture book.

A lovely book – but I’m not sure of the appeal to children.

Possible read-alikes:

• Ruby's birds by Mya Thompson and Claudia Dávila.
• The magic feather by Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner.
• The Boy and the Moonimal by Debi Gliori.
• Wren's nest by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati.
• Grandpa and the kingfisher by Anna Wilson & Sarah Massini. 

Weekend reads roundup: 16 May 2026, part one

 

Now I see autumn.

Written by Mac Barnett.

Illustrated by Jon Klassen.

Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Board book.

I’ve now read all the books in this series – and I’m ashamed of how long it took for me to pick up it’s all the same text in each one. The magic in these books is Jon Klassen’s illustrations.

Possible read-alikes:

• Cat's seasons by Airlie Anderson.
• A cat book of seasons by Nicoletta Costa.
• When autumn comes by Ekaterina Trukhan.
• Autumn by Gerda Muller. 

Wild places: the life of naturalist David Attenborough.

Written by Hayley Rocco.

Illustrated by John Rocco.

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction / biography.

Just what it says on the tin.

Possible read-alikes:

• Wild planet: the life and wisdom of Sir David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco and John Rocco.
• Wild life: the extraordinary adventures of Sir David Attenborough by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Helen Shoesmith.
• A gift of dust: how Saharan plumes feed the planet by Martha Brockenbrough.
• Wangari's trees of peace: a true story from Africa by Jeanette Winter.
• Planting stories: the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar.
• We are water protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade.

 

I do not like stories.

Written by Andrew Larsen.

Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff.

Owlkids Books, 2020.

Picture book.

I’m with the protagonist – I, too, would rather be at home with my cat/s.

Possible read-alikes:

• That's not Stella by Donna Fredin.
• Just one more story by Perry Emerson and Sean Julian.
• Everywhere with you by Carlie Sorosiak and Devon Holzwarth. 

 

All from a walnut.

Written by Ammi-Joan Paquette.

Illustrated by Felicita Sala.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022.

Sophisticated picture book.

A poignant story of tradition, generational knowledge, immigration, love, and grief. Life cycles, life lessons, and death.

Possible read-alikes:  

• Nell plants a tree by Anne Wynter and Daniel Miyares.
• This is the tree we planted by Kate McMullan and Alison Friend.
• Wren's nest by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati.
• Grandpa is here by Tanya Rosie and Chuck Groenink.
• The oak tree by Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandoy.
• More than a tree by Sarah Kurpiel.
• Grandpa Green by Lane Smith.        
• Birdsong by Julie Flett.
• The garden we share by Zoë Tucker and Julianna Swaney. 

Clara and the birds.

Written and illustrated by Emma Simpson.

Milky Way Picture Books, 2024.

Sophisticated picture book.

A story of shyness and needing solitude – and not fitting in.

Possible read-alikes:

• Solo by Neil Clark.
• The coziest place on the moon by Maria Popova and Sarah Jacoby.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• The grumpy ghost upstairs by Mamiko Shiotani; translated by Polly Lawson.
• Everything in its place: a story of books and belonging by Pauline David-Sax and Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.
• Daisy by Jessixa Bagley.
• Bird Boy by Matthew Burgess and Shahrzad Maydani.

 

The whale and the snapper = Tohorā me te Tāmure.

By Jo Van Dam, Ariana Stevens, and Richard Hoit.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aotearoa

Picture book.

Bilingual.

Rhyming.

Retelling of the Lion and Mouse by Aesop.

Possible read-alikes:

• The lion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.
• Sharky McShark and the teensy wee crab by Alison Murray.
• Aesop's fables introduced by Marcus Sedgwick, translated by S. A. Handford, illustrated by Brian Robb.
• The lion and the mouse by Amanda Wood and Nataraj Noj. 

Kekeno, curious explorer.

Written by Katie Furze.

Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aotearoa.

Picture book nonfiction.

Katie Furze is doing a fine line in picture book nonfiction featuring endemic creatures of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Possible read-alikes:

• Narwhal: the Arctic unicorn by Justin Anderson and Jo Weaver.
• Elizabeth, queen of the seas by Lynne Cox and Brian Floca.
• Inky's amazing escape: how a very smart octopus found his way home by Sy Montgomery and Amy Schimler-Safford. 

You're in my heart.

Written and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud.

Tate Publishing, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Missing family while away.

Note: creator lives in Madagascar.

Possible read-alikes:

• All the love in the world by Louise Fedele and Ana Toro.
• Where three oceans meet by Rajani LaRocca and Archana Sreenivasan.
• Ivanhoe Swift left home at six by Jane Godwin and A. Yi.
• The day the crayons made friends by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers.
• I'm not sleepy by Raahat Kaduji.
• I send you a hug by Anne Booth and Åsa Gilland.
• Mina's magic malong by Eva Wong Nava, June Ho, and Novita Elisa. 

Curly Cat. The Acrobat.

Written by Jennifer Somervell.

Illustrated by Zerika van Jaarsveld.

Landing Lights Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Aotearoa New Zealand.

A bit meh. A cat who wants to be an acrobat, and is discouraged by friends.

Possible read-alikes:

• Jeff goes wild by Angie Rozelaar.
• Another by Christian Robinson.
• Not a cat: a memoir by Winter Miller and Danica Novgorodoff.  

Welcome to our table.

Written by Laura Mucha and Ed Smith.

Illustrated by Harriet Lynas.

Nosy Crow, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Food traditions from around the world.

Possible read-alikes:

• Our favourite food: taste 20 delicious dishes from around the world by Valerie Wilding and Åsa Gilland.
• World of food by Sandra Lawrence and Violeta Noy.
• History is delicious by Joshua Lurie and Laura Foy.
• Chews your own tasty adventure: a cooking journey where YOU get to choose the ingredients!: vegetarian recipes from around the world by Dr Sai Pathmanathan and Lucia Vinti. 

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

 

Torla & Smorla and the deeper than average hole.

Written by Kes Gray.

Illustrated by Chris Jevons.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

The ‘sequel’ to Torla & Smorla and the lower than average cloud.

A fun exploration of averages and norms.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mouse & Giraffe by Kelly DiPucchio and Jen Corace.
• Giraffe is too tall for this book by DK Ryland.
• Sam and Dave dig a hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.
• Hill & Hole by Kyle Mewburn and Vasanti Unka.
• What goes up by Paula Bowles. 

Luigi, the spider who wanted to be a kitten.

Written by Michelle Knudsen.

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

Walker Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Mistaken identity and friendship. Just sweet and perfect.

And spider!

Possible read-alikes:

• Sylvie by Jean Reidy and Lucy Ruth Cummins.
• Spiro by Anna McGregor.
• Aaaarrgghh, spider! by Lydia Monks.
• The man who didn't like animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham.
• Spider by Bang on the Door.
• Lulu is a rhinoceros by Jason Flom, Allison Flom, and Sophie Corrigan. 

Look baby look: outside: a lift-the-flap baby's catalogue.

Written and illustrated by Louise Lockhart.

Nosy Crow, 2026.

Board book.

Rhyming text.

Lift the flap.

Possible read-alikes:

• First 100 words by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake.
• Titiro = Look by Gavin Bishop.
• At home by Matthew Oldham and Tony Neal.
• Baby's first words by Christiane Engel, Stella Blackstone, and Sunny Scribens.

Volcanoes.

Written by Nell Cross Beckerman.

Illustrated by Kalen Chock.

Orchard Books. 2024.

Picture book nonfiction.

Poetic language.

Possible read-alikes:

• Rangitoto: te toka tu moana = the rock standing in the ocean by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold.
• Volcano by Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft. 
• Home by Isabelle Simler, translated by Vineet Lal.
• Jumper: a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider by Jessica Lanan.
• The power of volcanoes by Tamsin Mather, David Pyle, and Daniel Long. 
• Stranded!: a mostly true story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson and Anne Wilson. 

World kitchen: family recipes from around the world

Written by Abigail Wheatley.

Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

Usborne, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Possible read-alikes:

• Chews your own tasty adventure: a cooking journey where YOU get to choose the ingredients!: vegetarian recipes from around the world by Dr Sai Pathmanathan and Lucia Vinti.
• Soup's on around the world by Denyse Waissbluth and Chelsea O'Byrne.
• Our favourite food: taste 20 delicious dishes from around the world by Valerie Wilding and Åsa Gilland.
• Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street: a collection of recipes to share by Felicita Sala.
• A taste of the world: what people eat and how they celebrate around the globe by Beth Walrond, translated by Laure Afchain.

 

Marvellous maps: the world as you have never seen it before.

Written by Simon Kuestenmacher.

Illustrated by Margarida Esteves.

Welbeck Editions, 2022.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Not your standard collection of maps.

Possible read-alikes:

• What's where on Earth? history atlas: history as you've never seen it before by consultants: Reg Grant, Philip Parker; illustrators: Adam Benton, Stuart Jackson-Carter, Arran Lewis. 
• Maps of the world: an illustrated children's atlas of adventure, culture, and discovery by Enrico Lavagno and Sacco and Vallarino.
• Me on the map by Joan Sweeney and Qin Leng.
• The world is a cat playing with Australia: and 39 other amazing maps by Simon Kuestenmacher and Margarida Esteves.
• Maptastic!: reimagine the world, one map at a time by Rebecca Fry, Clive Gifford, Ben Morgan, Isabel Thomas, Justine Willis. 

This is our first Christmas.

Written by Francesco Sedita.

Illustrated by Magenta Fox.

Viking, 2025.

Picture book.

A gentle and sweet story.

Possible read-alikes:

• How many sleeps till Christmas? by Mark Sperring and Sebastian Braun.
• All the firsts by Toni D'alia and Sian Wheatcroft.
• Our gorgeous baby by Smriti Halls and Eve Coy.
• That Christmas by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb. 

I did see a Yeti!

Written and illustrated by Alex Willmore.

Farshore, 2025.

Picture book.

Sequel to I did see a mammoth! Seeing something doesn’t mean everyone believes you.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dragons are real! by Holly Hatam.
• Buttercup the bigfoot by Douglas Rees and Isabel Muñoz.
• Yetis don't exist by Kate Thompson and Loretta Schauer.
• The grizzled grist does not exist! by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis.

 

Capybara disco dreams.

Written by Frances Stickley.

Illustrated by Nikki Dyson.

Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Dance like nobody is watching.

Possible read-alikes: 

• Craft Roach by Rachel Burke and Daniel Gray-Barnett.
• Bhangra boogie by Hena Khan and Sandhya Prabhat.
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems.
• How do you dance? by Thyra Heder.
• Luna loves dance by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers.
• Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
• Free to be fabulous! by David McMullin and Robbie Cathro.
• We will rock our classmates by Ryan T. Higgins.
• You can do it, Bert! by Ole Könnecke, translated by Catherine Chidgey. 

The only astronaut.

Written by Mahak Jain.

Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.

Kids Can Press, 2023.

Picture book.

Imaginative play. Learning to play with someone else, who has their own imagination.

Possible read-alikes:

• There's a beach in my bedroom by Kevin Jonas, Danielle Jonas, and Courtney Dawson.
• Fiona builds a fairy house by Kristen Dickson and Celia Krampien.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• Silver linings by Fiona Woodcock.
• I’m a frog by Mo Willems. 

Weekend reads roundup: 3 May 2026, part three

 

The bookshop dog.

Written by Harriet Evans.

Illustrated by Claire Shorrock.

Little Tiger Press, 2025.

Picture book.

A story of community and its importance. Also, the skill in readers advisory – finding the right book at the right time.

Possible read-alikes:  

• Dear bookstore by Emily Arrow and Geneviève Godbout.
• Good night little bookstore by Amy Cherrix and E. B. Goodale.
• The bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas and Sofya Karmazina.
• The Winter wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean.
• Books on bikes by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, and Brizida Magro.
• Books are not just for Bedtime by Eleanor Pearson and Angela Perrini.
• Everywhere with you by Carlie Sorosiak and Devon Holzwarth. 
• The great rabbit chase by Freya Blackwood. 
• A sprinkle of happiness by Lucy Rowland and David Litchfield. 

The monster mac and cheese party.

Written and illustrated by Todd Parr.

Little, Brown and Company, 2023.

Picture book.

How do you like your food?

Possible read-alikes:

• You've got yoghurt in your nostrils by Bethany Clark and Sara Acton.
• Are you a hungry monster? by Guilherme Karsten.
• Banana bop!: a monster show by Sandra Boynton.
• I really like slop! by Mo Willems.
• Monster food by Daisy Hirst.

 

Come on out!

Written and illustrated by Alberto Lot.

Henry Holt and Company, 2025.

Picture book.

Interactive.

Read portrait, vertically – rather than traditional horizontally.

Possible read-alikes:

• Are you there little bat? by Sam Taplin, Nicola Butler, and Essi Kimpimäki.
• Where are you, Magoo? by Briony Stewart.
• Dot spots lots of spots by Camilla Reid and Carly Gledhill.
• Mel fell and Ursula upside down by Corey R. Tabor.
• Go away, big green monster! by Ed Emberley.

 

Leo's Lobo.

Written by Melissa Cristina Márquez.

Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama.

Penguin Workshop, 2026.

Picture book.

A story of pet adoption, magic, and responsibility.

Possible read-alikes:

• Get real, Mallory! by Daisy Hirst.
• Forever home: a dog and boy love story by Henry Cole.
• I want a dog by Jon Agee.
• The Fairy Dogmother by Caroline Crowe and Richard Merritt.
• "Let's get a pup!" by Bob Graham.
• Negative cat by Sophie Blackall.
• This story is not about a kitten by Randall de Sève and Carson Ellis.

  

Can bears ski?

Written by Raymond Antrobus.

Illustrated by Polly Dunbar.

Walker, 2021.

Picture book.

Hearing impairment – and how the young bear navigates the world, before it is picked up.

Possible read-alikes:

• I hear the snow, I smell the sea by Janice Milusich and Christopher Raschka.
• Come over to my house by Eliza Hull, Sally Rippin, and Daniel Gray-Barnett.
• Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello and Nadja Sarell.
• Private and confidential by Marion Ripley and Colin Backhouse.

 

Charlie, chill out!

Written by Beccy Beavis.

Illustrated by Rachel McGregor & Charlie Beavis.

Beccy Beavis Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Aotearoa.

Neurodiversity. 

Possible read-alikes:

• Too much!: an overwhelming day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang.
• Remarkable Remy by Melanie Heyworth and Nathaniel Eckstrom.
• Wild for Winnie by Laura Marx Fitzgerald and Jenny Løvlie.
• Oona and the shark by Kelly DiPucchio and Raissa Figueroa.

 

Ghost orchid.

Written and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers.

Andersen Press, 2022.

Picture book.

I’m undecided about this one – it’s lovely and all that. But, the parents are not great.

Possible read-alikes:

• Muttonfish magic by Aunty Ruth Simms, Lucy Robertson, and Jasmine Seymour.
• The Tiny Explorers by Kat Macleod.
• Tiny hiker by Natasha Zimmers.
• Over and under the rainforest by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal
• The big journey by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.

 

You are not alone.

Written by Ingrid Law.

Illustrated by Xin Li.

Rocky Pond Books, 2025.

Picture book.

The peaceful sleep that comes with knowing you are supported and loved.

A dream for some.

Possible read-alikes:

• A monstrous bedtime by Kerilynn Wilson.
• Tuck me in by Nathan W. Pyle.
• Home is where the heart is by Jonny Lambert.

 

Pugtato finds a thing and Pugtato babysits the snouts.

Written and illustrated by Sophie Corrigan.

Zonderkidz, 2020 and 2021.

Picture books.

The world needs more Pugtatoes! And Collieflowers, and Purrsnips!

Possible read-alikes:

• Don't feed the coos! by Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox.
• Snail crossing by Corey R. Tabor.
• I'm bored by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ohi.
• Supertato by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet.
• Tulip and Doug: friends for (almost) ever by Emma Wood and Carla Martell.
• Food fight by Alex Latimer.
• Dog food by Joost Eiffers and Saxton Freymann.

 

One cool friend.

Written by Toni Buzzeo.

Illustrated by David Small.

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012.

Picture book.

I don’t recommend stealing a penguin from an exhibition – however…

Possible read-alikes:

• Where the heart is by Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe.
• Lost and found by Oliver Jeffers.
• Penguin parcel by Victoria Cassanell.
• Wanna see a penguin? by Simon Philip and Ian Smith.
• Sylvie by Jean Reidy and Lucy Ruth Cummins. 

A lemon for Safiya.

Written by Jemima Shafei-Ongu.

Illustrated by Nisaluk Chantanakom.

Hachette Australia, 2025.

Australian.

Sophisticated picture book.

Dementia. Immigrant.

⭐What an absolute jewel.

So many books written by people with backgrounds in psychology / teaching, end up shouting “message” and “worthy”, and just aren’t great to read.

This is not one of them. This is a book deeply empathetic, which wears its lessons lightly.

Possible read-alikes:

• Coffee, rabbit, snowdrop, lost by Betina Birkjær and Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard, translated from Danish by Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov. 
• Night walk by Jason Cockcroft.    
• Once upon a time in the woods by Anthony Browne. 
• 11 words for love by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Maxine Beneba Clarke. 

What is a dot?

Written by Johanna Bell.

Illustrated by Amelia Luscombe.

Thames & Hudson Australia, 2025.

Australian.

Picture book.

Interactive.

A good way to look at things differently. Inspiration for art / creativity.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dot! scribble! go! and Mix it up! and Press here by Hervé Tullet.
• Beautiful oops! by Barney Saltzberg.
• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.
• Arlo draws an octopus by Lori Mortensen and Rob Sayegh Jr.  
• Squiggles on the loose by Lily Murray and Bia Melo.

  

Grumpy pants.

Written and illustrated by Claire Messer.

Albert Whitman & Company, 2016.

Picture book.

I love this book so much – and so many of the preschoolers I read it with, understand.

Possible read-alikes:

• Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard.
• Punch!: a story about kindness by Michael Hall.
• Storm-cat by Magenta Fox.
• I am a tornado by Drew Beckmeyer.

 

Glasses.

Illustrated by Fernando Martin.

Oxford University Press, 2025.

Picture book.

They say you should dress for the job you want – so, why not start them early.

Possible read-alikes:

• Bags by Fernando Martin (same series).
• All dressed up by Andrew Zimmerman and Davis Clemesha.
• Cheer: a book to celebrate community by Uncle Ian Aurora and Natalia Moore.
• When I grow up I'd like to be... by Rob Biddulph.
• I can be anything! by Susann Hoffmann.
• Maisy at work: a first words book by Lucy Cousins.
• Guess who's getting dressed by Smriti Halls and Marta Altés.

 

Can I keep it, please?

Written by John Sullivan.

Illustrated by Jessica Gibson.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025.

Picture book.

When you don’t want what you already have – then find out it’s perfect.

Possible read-alikes:

• You can't pat a fish by Ruth Paul.
• The perfect pet by Hazel Gardner and Nikki Dyson.
• The man who didn't like animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham.
• Not that pet! by Smriti Halls and Rosalind Beardshaw.
• Rita's rabbit by Laura Mucha and Hannah Peck.

 

Sticky Mildred.

Written by Alastair Chisholm.  

Illustrated by Rikin Parekh.  

Walker Books Ltd, 2026.  

Picture book.

As someone with touch sensory issues – this book icked me out. It doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

Possible read-alikes: 

• Kittens do not care for baths by Ali Rutstein and Nina Nill.
• The pigeon needs a bath! by Mo Willems.
• The girl who wouldn't brush her hair by Kate Bernheimer and Jake Parker.
• Molly’s hair by Emma Damon.

 

Bear and Bird: The cloud.

By Jarvis.

Walker Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Hunting for a special thing can result in finding what you really need.

Possible read-alikes:

• Little cloud by Anne Booth and Sarah Massini.
• The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin.
• Annabelle and Flower by Em Lynas and Anuska Allepuz.
• The witchling's wish by Lu Fraser and Sarah Massini.

 

 

Neverwoof: the dog that never barked.

Written and illustrated by Gabe Jensen.

Familius, 2021.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Limited colour palette with retro-style illustrations.  

A story with a twist.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dudley's day at home by Karen Kaufman Orloff and Reneé Andriani.
• Such a good boy by Marianna Coppo.
• Crictor by Tomi Ungerer.

 

Shoes!: a footwear fashion frolic.

Written by Anna Davies.

Illustrated by Daisy Wynter.

Cicada Books, 2025.

Illustrated nonfiction.

The blurb says throughout history – but it is the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Possible read-alikes:

• Encyclopedia of ordinary things by Štěpánka Sekaninová and Eva Chupíková.
• Where will this shoe take you?: a walk through the history of footwear by Laurie Lawlor.
• Fashion: the history of clothes by Jacqueline Morley.
• Get dressed!: a historical guessing game for fashion lovers by Katy Canales and Erin Vanessa.
• A history of fashion by Emily Bone and Laura Cowan; illustrated by Simona Bursi, Ingrid Liman Elena Selivanova and Yoko Sugiyama; designed by Caroline Day, Nelupa Hussain, Hope Reynolds ad Lucy Wain.