Dipping into the 2026 Notable list

Did you wait with baited breath to see if some of your favourite reads from the past year made it to “the lists”? I did and was thrilled to see some terrific books included. Read on for a quick dip into just a few of Jennie’s favourites across each category. As she hasn’t read all the books this is just a selection that resonated. Lots left out and lots more to read!

 

Eve Pownall Award

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fast and Slow Animals. Written and illustrated by Sami Bayly. Published by Lothian Children's Books.

What I love about Baylys’ work is not just the amazing realism of her meticulous art work but the original and creative perspectives she explores to present the familiar and extraordinary animals across the globe and from all animal families. Her coverage of fast and slow goes well beyond the animals we know so well – such as the cheetah! Wonderful for all inquiring minds the coverage is sure to broaden your knowledge. Careful design is evident with carefully laid double page spreads that compare and differentiate between different groups. Language is engaging and entertaining with some humorous commentary intertwined within the factual coverage.

 

This bird. Noticing our Urban Birds. Written and illustrated by Astred Hicks ; with Holly Parsons. Published by CSIRO.

Hicks, with scientific support from Parsons, presents a colourful and vibrant array of familiar Australian birdlife. An original approach to organising each entry works effectively to focus on 'noticing' differences in birds by highlighting unique features that make each bird stand out from the rest. Double page spreads start with "This bird…" followed by an additional clause “... has a red butt; “…is a hoverer; ‘”…loves cities; etc. Information is accessible, interesting, informative and identifies special attributes to help young bird watchers with identification and location.

 

Picture Book of the Year

(I have only read one of the books on this list! But it is wonderful!)

Once I was a Giant. Written and illustrated by Zeno Sworder. Published by Thames & Hudson.

This is an enigmatic and challenging tale of the life of a tree told by one of its end products - a pencil. Dark, muted pastels convey the majesty of the giant tree and its surrounding forest and the joy of the visitations from the wanderer, (perhaps a wood sprite?), who relates the passing of time. The bleak devastation of the cleared land is beautifully contrasted with the quiet work of the wanderer to reseed the forest. Sworder's masterful visual storytelling is both thoughtful and thought provoking, exploring nature and the life cycles that support regeneration and reforestation.

 

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

The Emperor’s Egg. Written and illustrated by Rae Tan. Published by Lothian Children’s Books.

Tan has reworked an ancient Chinese folk tale about integrity, courage and patience that celebrates ancient Chinese traditions. The old and childless Emperor is seeking an heir and puts a call out for children over the age of five to each care for a beautiful coloured egg. Ren nurtures his egg with patience and care as he watches the other children play with their glorious dragon like hatchlings. On the thirtieth day the Emperor makes his decision based on the evidence. The design, layout, and illustrations are exquisite - richly coloured with artful use of white space and glorious movement and facial expressions in the children.

 

Look, See, Find Me. Written and illustrated by Sandra Severgnini. Published by CSIRO.

A cleverly designed introduction to camouflage that presents a range of animals in different environments. With a single descriptive sentence on each double page young readers are encouraged to discover different animals blending into their environment. This is supported with the names - common and scientific - to indicate how many creatures need to found. The artwork accurately portrays both elements with each spread being fully coloured and richly texture to the eye. A glossary at the end includes information about each creature and an image similar to how they look on their respective pages. Perfect for this younger age group, the book is more literary nonfiction rather than story.

 

Where the River Runs Free. Written by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Tasmanian illustrator Jedda Robaard. Published by Windy Hollow Books.

Portraying a delightful and cheerful walk along the river, young readers will make many connections with Mum, two girls and the baby as the set off for an adventure. Familiar landscapes and activities to stimulate discussion, the story is simple and familiar. Splashing in the river, hearing the birds, sharing snacks and chasing butterflies are all part of the fun. Robaard’s Illustrations enrich and expand the story with soft watercolours providing different perspectives, shifting the focus of the eye with broad double page spreads interspersed with cameo images that use white space effectively to highlight the action. The placement of the simple storyline adds to the flow of the story. Text is enriched with wonderful alliteration, onomatopoeia and descriptive language, all perfectly placed on each page. The conclusion is very satisfying – they get to see a ….! Can you guess what they were looking for on the river?

 

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Run. Written by Sarah Armstrong. Published by Hardie Grant Children’s.

A fast-paced adventure survival story follows Cas (Casper) who avoids facing his long estranged father by escaping into the bush. He quickly realises that he does not have the necessary survival skills and lost, hungry and thirsty, he despairs, but is unable to find his way out. Discovered by two sisters and their dog he soon realises he has stumbled into a mystery as the girls and their Dad are living off grid and have a secret to hide. 

Armstrong explores both physical and emotional survival in this tight, edge-of-the-seat adventure that explores neglect, forgiveness, family, friendship and moral challenges. A great read for older primary and early secondary with a cast of interesting robust characters including a teenager thirsting for civilization.

 

Song of a Thousand Seas. Written by Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Aviva Reed. University of Queensland Press.

Similar in style to her engaging and emotive verse novel Way of Dog, Fraillon uses a first person narrative to tell the story of Houdini the octopus, trapped in a tank, who longs with all of her nine brains, three hearts, and 3,154 suckers to be back home in the sea. Houdini narrates her own and three other points of view - Paul the keeper, Juno the keeper’s daughter and Joe the aquarium cleaner - to present multiple perspectives that show how each is pulled in a particular direction. Fraillon artfully immerses the reader into Houdini's caged world to understand and sympathise with her craving for the ocean and freedom. Black and white illustrations are placed throughout, at times twisting between the short verses each starting with a short and evocative heading to highlight the voice and the perspective being related. The illustrations add depth and mood to the narration as well as enhancing the visual appeal and accessibility of the book. A story for primary aged readers that is rather different from the usual fare - and certainly one that will encourage them to think and question the ethical issues around keeping captive animals - though this is not discussed at any stage. Such is the power of seeing into the 3 hearts and 9 minds of Houdini.

Book of the Year: Older Readers

Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire. Written by Amy Doak. Published by Penguin.

Eleanor continues to plunge head first into trouble in this third stand-alone adventure. Her friends and others at school are all suspects in the first disaster – a house fire that sees one man dead – accident or arson? A note warning Eleanor off suggests the latter. Although trying to do the right thing and pass all information onto Holly, the local police officer, she can’t help but wonder. 

Another entertaining thriller with an interesting mixture of teen characters, all with flaws and most with strengths, that will engage teen readers from Year 7 up. Doak handles a number of teen issues and moral responsibilities, including family pressure, toxic behaviour and sexting, boredom, carjacking, thrill seeking behaviours, and that most important first kiss, with dexterity, humour and insight. 

 

We Saw What You Started. Written by Carla Salmon. Published by Pan Macmillan.

Told from different perspectives the main characters include Otto, relocated with his mum from California with a mysterious past that involves a fire destroying a farm and a love of surging. Twins, Jasper and Milly, the brother lazy and laid back, and apparently destined to become captain of the local surf living team of which their father is the manager. Milly, determined to prove her worth to her father and a dedicated life saver. Otto becomes prime suspect for the fires, he suspects Jasper and Milly is determined to prove both innocent. Other characters support or thwart her endeavours. Salmon has crafted a realistic teen fiction story that features three arson attacks, family relationships, the challenges of being new to the town and country, sibling rivalry, family, friendship and community dynamics, exploitation and manipulation and a budding romance. A good read for teens with some detective work, and a strong focus on life saving, surfing and personal relationships.

All the best with your reading adventure over the next few months as we warm up the orchestra for Book Week. Please share one of your early favourites. Now, what will I read nextr?

Jennie Bales

Retired teacher librarian and CBCA Tasmania Social Media Coordinator

Selecting the Notables – A Fascinating Process

With the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Notables announced earlier this week, it feels timely to reflect on this year’s judging process. Enjoy this insightful post provided by Anna Davidson that presents thoughts on the process from our three Tasmanian judges.

Tasmania is proudly represented by three CBCA judges in 2026: Dr Mark Macleod (Picture Book and New Illustrator); expatriate from the Northern Territory, Kym Diprose (Younger Readers), and myself (Early Childhood). You can read a short biography of each judge here.

Collectively, we have read 405 books over the past year, assessing each title against the award criteria to determine which titles progress to the Notables list, Shortlist, Honour Books and ultimately, the coveted gold Winner medal.

In February, judges from across Australia gathered at the State Library of Victoria for a weekend of keynote addresses and panel discussions featuring academics, authors, illustrators and publishers. These professional conversations, alongside our formal deliberations, informed the final decisions about this year’s winning titles.

We invite you to hear from each of the Tasmanian judges as we share our reflections on a stimulating and celebratory weekend dedicated to the very best of contemporary Australian children’s literature.

From Picture Book and New Illustrator judge, Mark …

I especially valued the willingness of the Picture Book and New Illustrator judges to put aside ego and offer a list of Notables and Winners that represent the best of Australian visual storytelling for young people this year. Of course, with well over 200 other books, there were many wonderful books that missed out. And each of us on the panel had to watch much loved favourites lose a place in the final list. But we are confident that both the winners and the could-have-won selections will create a valuable ongoing conversation about what readers want and need.

From Younger Reader judge, Kym …

It was interesting to find out that the Younger Readers panel were all teacher librarians this year.  I was sensitive to the possibility that this may have resulted in homogeneous opinions.  But we came from very different geographical areas and life experiences so instead our deeply held professional respect for each other resulted in a wonderful camaraderie.  Careful listening meant that we all altered our understanding of elements of various books after taking into account the thoughtful consideration of the other members of the panel.  We were able to negotiate our Notables by teleconferencing.  The joy of the judging deliberations was our opportunity to talk at length about how the language, originality and challenge within our selections heightens the reading experience of the readers in our category.

From Early Childhood judge, Anna … 

The conference opened with a keynote from Dr Christine Oughtred, who framed our deliberations through her exploration of the question, ‘Judging Quality Children’s Literature: Science or Magic?’ Christine spoke about the delicate balance between critical evaluation and the intangible qualities that make a story meaningful, reminding us to leave space for young readers to bring their own experiences and interpretations to a text. Christine’s reflections strongly resonated with the Early Childhood judging panel as we considered the shortlisted titles. After months of meeting online, it was a pleasure to gather in person to reach our final decisions. Dr Oughtred, approaching the books with fresh eyes, offered thoughtful provocations that encouraged us to re-examine each title from new angles and deepen our discussion.

With only a month to go until the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Shortlist is announced on the 31st March we hope you enjoy exploring the wonderful selection of Notable books.

 

Anna Davidson
2025-2026 Book of the Year Judge
Junior School Teacher Librarian, avid reader (mad for Middle Grade Fiction), dog lover, yogi, nature lover, tea drinker
Twitter - @davidsonteach

 

Editor’s note: Well done judges! What a wonderful, diverse selection of books on the 2026 Notable lists. Thank you for devoting long hours to reading, collaborating and cogitating over so many titles. Your insights are appreciated! 

Australia Top Picture Books – What did you think?

Were you an active voter in the recent Guardian poll to identify Australia’s top picture books? Maureen Mann shares some thoughts on this first ever, and significant, poll and the outcomes. Although we celebrate The Guardian’s efforts to put Australian children's authors and illustrators under the spotlight Maureen does provide some food for thought in regard to the outcomes. Hopefully such feedback may inform future polls.

The recent Guardian poll on Australia’s top picture book – congratulations to Alison Lester for winning with the wonderful Magic Beach – raises the criticism that it didn’t contain enough recent titles. The very nature of how the list was compiled gives us one answer: titles were nominated by readers. The oldest book was published in 1973 and the most recent in 2022. 

The eligibility criteria was that the book can be read aloud to someone who is not yet an independent reader; can be read in a few minutes; be created by an Australian and published in Australia. According to the results, about 15000 votes were cast each day. I couldn’t find anything about the age range of voters. Would it have changed things if a younger demographic had been actively involved? But this group tends not to be Guardian readers, though this is, perhaps, a subjective comment. Book nominations were also restricted to those 18 years of over, though could be made on behalf of a child.

So – which titles would you include? Would it change for you if the publication date was restricted to titles from the last 10, or 20 years. Doing so might restrict those who vote to those who have continued to read Australian picture books after their children grew too old for them. 

Using the above criteria, here are my top titles (not in priority order) from the last 10 years.

• Bev and Kev by Katrina Germein and Mandy Foot
• Farmhouse by Sophia Blackall
• Timeless by Kelly Canby
• Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin and Pip Kruger
• The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum and Craig Smith
• The Truck Cat by Danny Snell and Deborah Frankel
• Bernie Thinks in Boxes by Jess Horn and Zoe Bennett

What have I missed? What would be on your list?

P.S. Don’t forget to look out for the CBCA 2026 Night of the Notables February 24.

Maureen Mann

Retired teacher librarian and avid reader.

 

Editor’s note: The poll was well promoted via CBCA Tasmania’s social media and I was active in the original nominations and as part of the voting process. My favourite, and recent publication, Jetty Jumping, hung in for a while, but was eliminated in the latter stages. When the top 50 books were announced I did wonder if participants fully grasped the criteria. I really like Maureen’s list and have expanded below with some other favourites of mine from the last 10 years, keeping in mind the intended young audience to read aloud too.

Stories That May Help with Transition to School

Starting school, whether in the early years or the beginning of high school, can be a challenging time. Felicity Sly kicks off the blog for 2026  with some great suggestions for books that tackle starting school. 

This post it probably a tad late for helping Kinder and Prep children approach their first day at school, but a follow up story to normalise how they may be feeling about all the new experiences may help to ease their worries.

Spot Goes to School by Eric Hill (Penguin) is the confident, no worries approach. With nearly every lift-the-flap reveal, Spot is having a great experience…only singing seems to cause anxiety (perhaps this isn’t Spot’s experience, but Eric’s?).

In contrast The Pigeon HAS to go to School by Mo Willems (Penguin Random House) has Pigeon catastrophising every possible scenario…until they finally realises that school is there to help them learn all the things that they are worried about.

Maddie’s First Day by Penny Matthews & Liz Anelli (Walker Books) and First Day by Andrew Daddo & Jonathan Bentley (Harper Collins) take the reader through all the steps of getting ready on that first school day.  Maddie’s journey takes us through the school day, but Daddo’s child’s story skips what happens during the day and then focuses on it being mum who finds the day to be a challenge (one that will get easier tomorrow).

Ozzie Goes to School by Jocelyn Crabb & Danny Snell (Harper Collins) takes a completely different perspective. Ozzie has been living a non-typical life in the Northern Territory. His days are spent helping his dad. Ozzie struggles to cope with the new experiences at school and so runs away each day. But each morning he returns to school and with the help of understanding teachers and classmates by Friday, he is running to school.

Starting Year 7 can be as confronting for some students as starting Kinder/Prep.

Are You There Buddha by Pip Harry (Hachette Australia) a CBCA Book of the Year Younger Reader’s in 2020 (written in verse) has Bee attending a new school, with a new family dynamic and many personal and environment challenges to navigate. How Bee handles these challenges, through conversations with Buddha and her family provide the story’s trajectory. 

Stand Up Ferran Burke by Steve Camden (Pan Macmillan Australia) is also in verse. This novel is set over 5 years as Ferran commences high school and navigates this experience, no longer in his older sibling’s shadow. The book is set in Canada, but Canadians are honorary Australians (aren’t they?).

Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen (Penguin Random House) commences in Grade 9 but references a humiliating Grade 7 event that still haunts Wilbur. Wilbur’s friends help him to rise above his worst moment and embrace new challenges. (This is another novel set in Canada).

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury) tells the tale of many Grade 7s experiencing major change, as they navigate the next stage of their education – amongst other challenges of just staying alive! The characters experience all the difficulties of school, peers, teachers and change.

You Must be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied (Penguin) explores an even greater challenge in navigating the high school experience. Layla, a Sudanese-Australian Muslim and scholarship student in a prestigious high school, needs to prove that she is academically worthy, whilst navigating all the normal challenges of high school student…and more.

NCACL (National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature) has a Bibliography on this topic, listed in 3 sections: Pre-school and Ages 5-8; Primary/Upper Primary; and Secondary. Download the PDF here.

Felicity Sly is a CBCA Tasmania 2026 Committee Member, and an avid (but slow) reader.