ABC Radio National has introduced a new annual vote inviting listeners to identify their favourite books. The 2025 theme will identify our “Top 100 Books of the 21st Century” (to date). If you struggle to find a book to read then this list might prove a useful tool and it certainly provides a wonderful boost to celebrate books and reading.
The poll commenced on the 1st September and closes on the 2nd October so there is still plenty of time to have your say and add your ‘best reads’ to the list. Books need to be published in English this century and can be local or international, fiction or nonfiction. A voting list is provided and you can search for titles in several ways. If your favs aren’t there, then you can add them in. Choose between 1 and 10 books – that’s the hardest bit – and have a go. You might even win a prize!
You can stay tuned for the Top 100 Books countdown on Radio National over two days – the 18th and 19th October. Participants must be 18 or over, but do consider some of those absolutely magic children’s books that readers of this blog are sure to have. If they have a place in your heart, your family or your classroom then it is a chance to add some breadth to the list and celebrate some exceptional reads for younger audiences.
Tune in to the initial launch on The Book Show and find out more and cast your votes on the Radio National website. You might like to hear the top pick from some ABC presenters – but don’t let their choices influence you!
Cast a vote or ten and be counted! Make sure you check the final results – they might help solve some of the Christmas stocking dilemmas.
Jennie Bales
CBCA Committee Member & Social Media Coordinator
Retired teacher librarian, academic and avid reader
Rachel Tribout, a local children’s author and illustrator, shares her story and an exciting new conservation project that she has been involved with in this interview. Aimed at inspiring and educating children to care for our waterways, Rachel has been instrumental in illustrating three picture books for TasWater as part of comprehensive Water Literacy Program. Read on to discover The Water Guardians.
Rachel, it is a while since you have written for the blog – can you give us a brief bio and an overview of some of your previous projects?
Sure! I’m a French-born illustrator and designer who somehow washed up in Tasmania after a round-the-world trip… and I never quite left. I lived there full-time for over 15 years (with an annual winter escape as I never quite adapted. My friends think of me whenever they feel cold, because my whinging about Tasmanian winters is now permanently imprinted in their brains. You’re welcome, guys!).
These days I split my time between Hobart and Brisbane. I’m still deeply attached to Tasmania and hope to return permanently one day, but for now I’ve found love and work in Brisbane, so I have slowly settled there more.
Although I do a lot of commercial design and illustration, my true passion is children’s books. I’ve worked on quite a few, both fiction and nonfiction, everything from Kate Gordon’s gorgeous novels (The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn, The Ballad of Melodie Rose, The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow) to narrative-driven science books with CSIRO like Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish, and nonfiction like Poo, Spew, and Other Gross Things Animals Do. My latest book to date is called “Cheer Up, Blobfish” written by Julie Murphy and published by Affirm Press.
I’ve also made my own books from scratch (originally to teach myself visual storytelling), like The Monsters of Tasmania and The Journey of Admiral Bolognaise, which I crowdfunded and self-published… a bit of an adventure in itself!
How did you become involved with TasWater’s water literacy program and the development of The Water Guardians?
TasWater reached out to me, and I didn’t need much convincing. Drawing Tasmanian landscapes is always a treat, anything to connect me and remind me of their beauty and how special they are is considered a privilege for me. I also loved the idea of helping kids (and adults) understand water in a fun, story-driven way. I think it’s important for us to know where water comes from, how it is used, treated, our impact on the environment and how to protect it. That knowledge is priceless and education about it vital.
Are you a Water Guardian | Tas Water Literacy Program
Can you describe the brief you were given and the process you undertook in choosing the style and medium.
The brief was to make something engaging for kids, but also appealing to grown-ups. So I aimed for that in-between space and created the characters to be playful without being babyish. I also loved how Kate Beard took this project at heart and had thought so much about the characters already. It was easy to bring them to life because they already felt so real to her.
Technically, I worked digitally, which made sense because the characters were going to be animated. That meant drawing them with multiple mouths and arms that could be moved around; a bit like a paper-doll kit, but digital.
For the landscapes, I wanted to create a true sense of place. I focused not just on landmarks, but also on the light and mood of each location. Tasmania is so diverse and atmospheric, and I wanted to capture that feeling as much as possible.
The illustrations also had to work across many formats (books, animations, promotional material, and educational resources) which added an extra challenge. I separated all the background layers so Kimberlin Education, who were producing the resources, could adapt and reuse them. They took this process further than I imagined. I was really impressed with how Tania, their creative manager, used my elements not only for animation but also to build the books. I often separate elements when illustrating for branding or marketing, so they can be reused, but Tania took it to the next level. She shuffled and repurposed the background pieces in clever ways, and I loved seeing how that resourcefulness brought even more out of the artwork.
City River Rescue | Book 3 | The Water Guardians
You have a gift for giving your animals personalities – I just loved the cheeky Spotted Handfish. How did you achieve this with the six creatures in this series? Did you have a favourite animal? Thank you! To be fair, the characters had already been given a lot of thought by Kate Beard at TasWater, so it was easy to imagine them. I just had to give them the right facial expressions and body language so they could work in different situations.
My personal favourite is the quoll: he’s cheeky, and I always enjoy drawing cheeky.
What aspect of book illustration do you enjoy the most and do you have a preferred media to work in?
I love the storyboarding stage, when you’re figuring out the visual storytelling. For me, that’s where the most important part of the work happens. I like thinking about how composition and flow can change the mood and shape the story.
I also really enjoy the sketch phase, when more details start coming in and I think about how to shape the illustration. You can add so much by layering in little elements, and I truly believe the story can be told in the details too. The hat someone wears can tell you as much about them as their posture, or the size of the bag they’re carrying. Adding and thinking about those touches is such a fun part of the process, because they deepen the story and make the world feel more alive. I have so much fun when adding easter eggs to illustrations, and I hope that that joy flows through to the reader and make them slow down, enjoy and stay on the page a little longer.
In terms of media, I mostly work digitally and have for the past 15 years, but lately I’ve been craving a return to more traditional mediums: paints, pencils, all the messy stuff. The world is buzzing about AI and how everything should be streamlined, faster, more efficient… but honestly, I think creativity should be the opposite. It should take the time it needs without cutting corners just for productivity’s sake.
For me, the magic often comes from the mess and the mistakes and that’s where the gold hides. Back in my early days, when I was really thinking about the creative process, I realised it felt like a cycle. You start like a child, excited and full of ideas. Then comes the teenager stage, when everything feels difficult: nothing works, I feel stuck, or like I suck and the world sucks too (I am dramatic). Then, somehow, there’s a breakthrough. I still don’t really know how it happens and it’s never quite the same… maybe from thinking hard and then finally letting go (while on a walk or in the shower) or just waiting long enough to see things with fresh eyes. And then there’s the adult stage, where you finish the work. It’s not perfect, but you feel accomplished because you know you’ve done your best.
That cycle is what makes creativity so deeply human. It helps us grow, understand ourselves better, and maybe even inspire others (while being inspired in return). I don’t want to streamline that… what would be the point? I don’t want to just make content to consume. I want to tell stories from the heart, with my flawed human brain, eyes, and voice. That’s what gives my work purpose, helps me grow, and makes both me and my work feel alive.
How do you tackle a new commission – any advice?
It always starts with scoping properly: how long will this actually take, and what’s really involved? Once that’s clear, I dive into research. I look at other books, Pinterest, artworks, photography, I read about the topic… of course, but I also try to draw inspiration from unexpected places and anything that might give me a fresh angle.
I also like to sneak in something new for myself, so each project helps me grow or experiment with something different. At the moment I am working on a book with Queensland Parliament on a true story about a schoolgirl who campaigned for more statues of women in Queensland… because she noticed there were more statues of animals than of women!
For me, it’s important to tell a story that matters to me and to the world. We pour so much of ourselves into a book, and that time and energy should feel like it’s going toward something meaningful.
If I had one piece of advice, it would be: don’t be afraid of the messy middle. The creative process rarely goes exactly to plan, but that’s often where the most interesting ideas appear. Stay curious, ask lots of questions, and leave room for play, take a break when you feel stuck, that’s usually where the magic comes in. And most importantly, tell the kind of story you’d want to see in the world.
A big thank you to Rachel for sharing some images of her studio!
Photo credits: Janna Imperial and Colin Fong
Visit the TasWater website for more information about The Water Guardians Water Literacy Program to access digital versions of the books and supporting Teacher Resources.
Our local booksellers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to assist children, teens, family, friends and educators to assist in that critical hunt for the ‘right book’. Phoebe Smallwood, from Petrach’s Bookshop in Launceston, shares some insider information in this week’s post that celebrates the joy demonstrated by young people inside a bookshop.
Children’s Book Week has come and gone. Booksellers across the country are letting out a sigh of relief. As cute as it is to see kids getting so excited about their favourite books, booksellers will be thankful to be able to retire the customer service voice used exclusively for soothing stressed parents (at least, until next year).
Guiding children towards books they’ll love is the best part of being a bookseller. For babies, it’s relatively simple. They’re usually less focused on the contents of the book and more on how it tastes. They seem to take the phrase ‘consuming a book’ a little too literally.
Most kids between the ages of two and five know exactly what they want as soon as they see it. At least three times a week, we hear an exclamation of ‘Look, Mum, it’s Bluey!’ coming from the children’s section. As soon as that happens, it’s over. Their minds are made up. There’s nothing you can do to change it.
Kids in lower primary tend to be either very shy or very extraverted. They will either hide behind their parents if you try to address them directly, or monologue to you about their favourite books until their parents walk them out the door.
When it comes to tweens, you’ve got to be cool. Most of the time, they just want to be left alone to choose their books. If guidance is needed, ask them about their interests, present them with a few different options, then leave them to it. Whatever you do, don’t hover.
Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing more and more teenagers in the bookshop, often after a specific book they’ve seen on BookTok. (For those not fully up-to-date with youth culture, ‘BookTok’ is a community of people who read, review, and recommend books on the social media app, TikTok). BookTok has sparked the interest of many young people who may not otherwise be inclined to step foot in a bookstore. Popular BookTok books for teens include A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Powerless by Lauren Roberts, and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
Some cynics may claim books are dying, but it’s hard to agree when every day I see children (and the occasional adult) literally jumping for joy over getting their hands on a new book. From what I’ve seen, there is still a lot of passion for reading out there.
Phoebe Smallwood
Phoebe has been a bookseller at her local independent bookshop for over five years. She is also an avid reader who recently completed a degree in literature and creative writing, with a particular emphasis on children’s literature.
1. With Love Your Bookshop day #LYBD2025 just a month away, on Saturday 11th October, Phoebe has provided a timely reminder to share the joys of browsing with children. For more information visit BookPeople with a great competition for young ones to enter. And add a bookshop visit to the family schedule.
2. Here are three middle grade titles that ‘lept’ off the shelf into my hands.
This year several schools in Tasmania participated in the CBCA 2025 Shadow Judging program and this week’s post shares the experiences of students from The Hutchins School with three groups of students engaging with one of short list categories. Thanks to Anna Davidson for involving her school and providing insights into the value and outcomes of the work undertaken by these students.
This year, Hutchins was delighted to take part in the CBCA Shadow Judging program. With three enthusiastic teams across different age groups, our students embraced the challenge of reading, evaluating and voting on the CBCA shortlisted books.
Our youngest team, the ELC Lunchtime Book Club, explored the Early Childhood shortlist. Whilst One Little Dung Beetle was a favourite, after much discussion, this group cast their final vote for Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Did Not)—a choice that sparked plenty of giggles and curiosity.
Overall, shadow judging gave our students the chance to see books through new eyes, strengthen their critical reading skills, and experience the joy of contributing to the wider literary community. We are grateful to the CBCA for providing this opportunity and cannot wait to take part again in 2026.
Meanwhile, a small but dedicated group of Year 4 and 5 readers tackled the Younger Reader shortlist. Meeting every Monday lunchtime with hot chocolate and biscuits, they worked their way through six shortlisted novels.
This group relished the challenge of reading within a set timeframe and often found themselves debating fiercely about which book should be crowned the winner. In the end, they chose Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger, deciding that while Fluff: Mess Up! was a strong contender (and group favourite), Tigg carried more literary weight and would stand the test of time.
As a teacher, it was inspiring to watch students move beyond personal preference and use the judging criteria to evaluate the books. Many students reflected that they enjoyed being pushed outside their comfort zones, encountering books they might not have chosen on their own.
To celebrate their efforts, some of our shadow judges enjoyed a special excursion to the Hobart Bookshop during Book Week, where they helped choose new books for our library collection. All groups also came together for a lively pizza party, watching the official CBCA Book of the Year announcements and comparing their decisions with other shadow judges across Australia. While not all their favourites won medals, students valued the experience of being part of a national conversation about books.
Overall, shadow judging gave our students the chance to see books through new eyes, strengthen their critical reading skills, and experience the joy of contributing to the wider literary community. We are grateful to the CBCA for providing this opportunity and cannot wait to take part again in 2026.
Anna Davidson Head of Library, The Hutchins School W: https://www.hutchins.tas.edu.au/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheHutchinsSchool
Book Week celebrations for 2025 saw many Tasmanian students embark on grand adventures with exciting activities, wonderful displays and staff and students participating in a host of activities. This week’s post provides a window into a myriad of events on the ground. Watch out for our Term 3 newsletter for a more detailed coverage.
Editor’s note: Congratulations to the school library staff that have been instrumental in promoting and celebrating Book Week in our schools. A stupendous effort!
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