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What a year for Australian picture books! Our book creators are just so clever and talented. I considered nearly 100 books for this list, and there was such a diversity in themes, text, and styles. I had some brutal choices on narrowing it to 25 to include here.
For this list of “Gorgeous Australian Picture Books,” I’ve considered books more from what I would call an “artsplorer’s” perspective, rather than considerations of merit as early childhood texts, which is a different set of criteria. There are even a couple of books that are really more for adults than children. Also, in years past, I have excluded Information books from this list; but, there are just so many that meet my “artistic” criteria, on top of their great educational value, that I found it hard to separate them all out. So, welcome to the list beautiful information books!
OF COURSE, this is is by no means meant to be a comprehensive or even a “best of” list. It’s a list of Australian picture books that my family and I loved and found beautiful for many different reasons. I hope you’ll find this list useful a a reference for gift shopping and library borrowing (click on any of the titles to purchase from Australian company Booktopia).
For more stunning Australian picture books, have a look at our previous lists:
25 Gorgeous Australian Picture Books From 2021
25 Gorgeous Australian Picture Books From 2020
25 Gorgeous Australian Picture Books From 2019
20 Gorgeous Australian Picture Books From 2018
I also write about picture and middle grades books all year around on Instagram.
- Amma’s Sari
- Farmhouse
- Australia – From Dawn to Dusk
- Naturopolis
- Dirt By Sea
- Our Dreaming
- Big World, Tiny World: Forest and Reef
- Tiny Wonders
- Bush Magic
- The Best Hiding Place
- Be Careful, Xiao Xin!
- Katerina Cruickshanks
- Come Over to My House
- Market Day
- Piano Fingers
- Violin & Cello
- Old Fellow
- Jigsaw
- My Deadly Boots
- Sun and Moon
- 11 Words For Love
- Snap!
- How We Came to Be: Surprising Sea Creatures
- My Strange Shrinking Parents
- The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness
Amma’s Sari
by Sandhya Parappukkaran, Illustrated by Michelle Pereira
Amma’s Sari is about a young girl who is trying to understand her place in two cultures. Her mother wears a sari which, at home, is a source of comfort and familiarity for the little girl. However, when they go out, she notices people looking at them, which makes her feel self-conscious.
This story is delicately told, and the illustrations are perfection. The pink fabric drapes itself across the pages. The complex feelings expressed will be familiar to both children and parents who have roots and hearts in two different cultures. (publisher: Hardie Grant)
Farmhouse
by Sophie Blackall
I wasn’t completely sure if I’d include this one on the list. Not because it isn’t gorgeous – because, my goodness, it sure is – but because sometimes it’s hard to say what constitutes an “Australian book.” Farmhouse is about a farmhouse in New York state, on property owned by Aussie author Sophie Blackall. As a fellow expat, I decided that the heart is really always in two places; so for the purpose of this list, I decided to claim beautiful Farmhouse as also-Australian.
Blackall has ever-so sensitively honored the dilapidated house that stood on her property. Using the most intricate layering technique, she tells the story of a house “where 12 children were born and raised.” The details on each page are the sort that you and your kids want to study over and over. It’s very hard not to get immediately attached to the family and their well-lived in house. (publisher: Lothian – Hachette)
Australia – From Dawn to Dusk
by Brentos
No question on the Australian-ness of this one!
Each spread in Australia – From Dawn to Dusk takes us to a different part of Australia at times throughout the day. We visit some unique at locations across the country, including the landscape, plants, and animals. The traditional place names are used for each location.
The pastel color palette and wave lines are like something out of a nice dream. It’s a beauty for Aussie kids to see our diverse country in a stunning way, and would also be a perfect gift to send to friends or family overseas. (Australia – From Dawn to Dusk was sent to us for potential review by Affirm Press)
Naturopolis
by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak
Continuing on the topic of all Australia’s natural wonders – Naturopolis has a fascinating perspective.
Naturopolis begins, “Look! The great grey city. All steel and stone. Tile and tar.” But, then it goes on …”… Look with care/And you may find a forest.”
Each spread describes a living thing that thrives in urban environments – things like gravel ants, maidenhair ferns, wild fennel, and ringtail possums. The botanic illustrations are stunners. The text, too, is vivid and lively, evoking the feeling of how vibrant these living things are. There’s also a descriptive “tag,” with details about each featured flora and fauna.
Our eyes have been opened even wider to all the adaptable, resilient nature all around us now that we have some ideas of what to look for. This book is perfect for any city kid! (publisher: Storytorch)
Dirt By Sea
by Michael Wagner, Illustrated by Tom Jellett
Another great adventure across Australia, Dirt By Sea is an interesting picture book/graphic novel hybrid.
Daisy and her dad live in an inland Queensland country town. When her dad realises that she thinks the Australian national anthem says that we are “dirt by sea,” he decides to take her on a grand tour of Australia in her mum’s beloved kombi van. Daisy gets to see the ocean for the first time and learn all about our “girt by sea” country. It’s a chance for Daisy and her dad to connect in a deeper way, as well.
While this has the look of a picture book, it will appeal most to graphic novel loving kids in the middle grades range. (publisher: Puffin)
Our Dreaming
by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler
One for the bookshelf and classroom of every Australian child, Kirli Saunders introduces us to her Gundungurra Dreaming.
The text is a message to a child. The narrator passes on the Dreaming, just as her Elders did for her. It’s a story of identity, responsibility, creation, and carrying and growing on traditions. Gundungurra words are used throughout, with a word list at the end.
Dub Leffler’s illustrations of bush animals, especially a pair of echidnas, have an ageless quality. They are earthy and full of emotion.
This is the perfect book to share the concept of Dreaming, to remember that every Indigenous nation has its own Dreaming, and to recognise how these foundational concepts of caring for the Earth, the self, and our community are common to every one of us. (publisher: Scholastic)
Big World, Tiny World: Forest and Reef
by Jess Racklyeft
Nature comes into focus in Jess Racklyeft’s new Big World, Tiny World series. From the vastness of the universe, we zoom in increasingly closer on a forest and a reef.
My kids were immediately intrigued by the cut-out with a shiny shape. As you go through each page, the shape changes into different parts of the illustration, which is pretty magical.
These books invite the reader to reflect on both the vastness of our universe, as well as the fascinating small worlds that we don’t always notice. Racklyeft’s watercolor illustrations are divine – bright, bold, and lush. Just so beautiful. These are the kind of books you want to keep on hand to gift all around as birthday presents. (Forest and Reef were sent to us for potential review by Affirm Press)
Tiny Wonders
by Sally Soweol Han
Zooming into nature is also a theme of Tiny Wonders.
“Did you know there’s a secret language of flowers? Dandelions mean happiness.” Aren’t we adults so silly as to think of them as weeds?!
Tiny Wonders is about one little girl’s quest to spread happiness in her town by filling it with the colorful flower, thereby helping them to see how much joy nature’s tiny wonders offer us.
I am particularly charmed by the beautiful illustrations in this book. It is, itself, a garden. We especially love the illustrated flower dictionary of the Korean language of flowers in the back of the book. We’ve looked at each flower many times. The wonder is real. (Tiny Wonders was sent to us for potential review by University of Queensland Press)
Bush Magic
by Kylie Howarth
Nature play! Bush Magic was a firm favorite for my 5 year old this year.
The story is about little Jarrah, who loves having bush adventures with Grandpa. One day, it’s too rainy to go outside. But, clever Grandpa doesn’t let staying indoors stop their fun. They craft a bush crown and use it to go on a magical adventure with Australian animals and more.
It’s a gentle story with enchanting illustrations. This is a celebration of the power of imagination. (Bush Magic was sent to us for potential review by Walker Books)
The Best Hiding Place
by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Sylvia Morris
Children’s imagination and play is the topic of The Best Hiding Place. I don’t think there is an Australian children’s author who brings to light the inner world of children’s play better than Jane Godwin.
Children are playing hide and seek, and Archie finds the best hiding place inside of a cupboard. The other kids get found, but where is Archie? Inside the cupboard, Archie is both proud of his hiding spot and also increasingly nervous. It is rather dark, but does he dare peek out? Have the others abandoned the game and forgotten him?
He’s soon found, and the game continues on, Archie triumphant. It’s a perfect encapsulation of a moment that most kids must have had, at some point. Morris uses a muted palette, giving the illustrations an timeless quality, and makes great use of dark and light. The domestic scenes are a treat to study. Godwin’s text strike the perfect balance of both the fun of the game and Archie’s trepidation – but is never *too* scary for a little reader. (The Best Hiding Place was sent to us for potential review by Affirm Press)
Be Careful, Xiao Xin!
by Alice Pung, illustrated by Sher Rill Ng
The world of children’s play is also central to Be Careful, Xiao Xin!. In this book, it is not as much about a child’s fear as it as about adult fear.
Xiao Xin is a red fire warrior inside, but he’s never able to show it because the adults in his life are always telling him to be careful. Careful with his play. Careful to not get cold. Careful to not fall off his scooter, and so on. Feeling stifled, he eventually runs away during the night, and his red fire warrior gets to shine.
Be Careful, Xiao Xin! features text in both English and Mandarin, making it perfect for bilingual children or those that speak either language. Ng has done wonderful things with perspective, dwarfing Xiao Xin in his giant coat when he’s being told to be careful, and giving him an enormous shadow when he finds some freedom. This is a story for both kids and parents, affirming that children need some space to take their own risks and forge their own path. (publisher: Harper Collins)
Katerina Cruickshanks
by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Confidence is no issue for Katerina Cruickshanks!
Katerina Cruickshanks has *all* the energy and boundless creativity. Hats and high kicks and barking at the postman – classic Katerina!
All is well until the fun goes a little too far and the other kids cast Katerina out of the group. They like the peace and quiet for a little while, but… things are sure a lot more fun with Katerina around.
Daniel Gray-Barnett’s illustrations are always full of wonder, fascinating characters, and the most delightful colour palettes. His text is a joy to read aloud, full of marvelous wordplay like “the runcible moon” and “frimbling and hooting.”
Most importantly, this book is about embracing those “extra” kids for exactly who they are – celebrating big energy, rather than trying to tame it. (publisher: Scribble)
Come Over to My House
by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Daniel Gray-Barnett’s joyful illustrations also bring to life Come Over to My House. The text, by musician and disability activist Eliza Hull and kid-lit superstar Sally Rippin, is an invitation to play.
“Come over to my house,” and we’ll do things like have snacks, play with my brother, and I’ll show you my cubby house. Each family is different. When you come over to one house, the doorbell may light up. When you come over to another house, you’ll see many books – some of them in Braille. And, at another, you’ll meet an assistance dog who likes belly rubs, but can’t play when he’s working.
This book is pretty genius in the way that it frames disability. Every family lives differently, and in some families there are modifications due to hearing or vision impairment, neurodivergence, limb differences, or many other disabilities. Accommodations are not framed as a problem – it is all about what we can do when you “come over to my house.” (publisher: Hardie Grant)
Market Day
by Carrie Gallasch, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
Community is central to the glorious Market Day.
A girl and her family drive into the city for a day at the market. She has a coin to spend on anything she chooses, but she wants to save it for just the right thing. Sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and people swirl around, as she notices the humming life of the market. As she thinks about her coin, everything she notices is an exciting possibility. She makes the loveliest choice at the end of a special day.
Gallasch’s text is detailed and descriptive, bringing into focus so many impressions. Sommerville’s illustrations are magic. We follow the girl in her bright yellow coat, and the musician with his blue guitar case, through vibrant crowd scenes. Honestly, Hannah Sommerville is just so good – she had a few books out in 2022, which all could have been on this list. I especially love Market Day, a feast of all the senses. (publisher: Hardie Grant)
Piano Fingers
by Caroline Magerl
Another book with illustrations that had me swooning is Piano Fingers. It is about little Bea, whose family are all musicians. She’s waiting for her turn on the big stage, but finds herself in the shadow of her talented sister. Bea has her own gifts that she must discover for herself (with a little help from a friendly maestro!).
I suspect that the sibling dynamic will resonate with most families with more than one child. There’s both awe from little sister at her sibling’s talents and a frustration that she can’t, yet, accomplish the same things. I love to see my little one step up and find her own “thing” or proudly do something her own way, just as Bea does in this story.
Magerl creates such a distinct world with her illustrations in this book. She plays with perspective, as Bea feels so little, and really wants to play something big. There’s a glorious surrealism – curtains and music notes swirling, a literal garden of sound, and an enchanting use of light all the way through. The pictures are like music, themselves. (We received a copy of Piano Fingers for potential review from Walker Books)
Violin & Cello
by Catherine Greer, illustrated by Joanna Bartel, music by Alexander Lau
Music also takes centre stage in Violin & Cello. It even has its own song, which you can listen to as you read.
Young violin and cello players live next door to each other in an apartment block, but never meet. They only know each other through hearing each other rehearse. They begin to send each other notes, creating the “Mystery Friends” duet together. Finally, they meet – a friendship built on music.
This is a sweet, simple story. It charms with its use of music and the “mystery” of having a secret friend yoú’ve never met is a lot of fun. There is some excellent musical vocabulary here for kids. And, the domestic scenes of each child in their home are nicely detailed. The friends have a lot in common, and they also have a lot to share with each other. (publisher: EK Books)
Old Fellow
by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Liz Anneli
Another book about the simple joy of friendship is Old Fellow. The characters in this book are on the other end of the age spectrum from the new friends in Violin & Cello – both the man and his dog are “old fellows.”
The book takes us through a day in their life, a day spent on their walk to the park. It’s a familiar routine for the pair, and one that clearly feeds their souls. There is a comfortable pace to their day – no need to hurry for them. At the park, they meet neighbors, watch daily scenes unfold, and notice small changes in the park. This is their day, just as they enjoy it.
Anneli is a master illustrator, capturing the present and glimpses of the past, and setting the gentle tone. Cheng’s text is breezy. This is not a book about melancholy. It’s about today, and how life changes – maybe slows – but the simple pleasures of friendship, nature, and a bit of exercise become even more potent when we aren’t in a big hurry, full of distractions. (publisher: Walker Books)
Jigsaw
by Bob Graham
Aaaah, slowing down. The dedication to Jigsaw reads, “For those with time to spare – children, dogs and jigsaw puzzlers.“
The Kelly family receives a puzzle in the mail, but they don’t know who it’s from. They work on it for a few months, but when they get to the end, they realise one piece is missing.
They decide to try to find it at the tip, suspecting it was thrown away. Though it seems daunting, they hold out hope. Sifting through the ephemera of generations, their puzzle piece is not to be found. Until, when they least expect it, it is!
I think it’s a perfect post-lockdown book – a throwback to the era where many of us hunkered down with puzzles and had the time to give to wild hairs. It’s also a book about “stuff” – what it means and where it goes. And, most of all, it’s a book about (to use the marvelous turn of phrase President Obama made famous) the audacity of hope. (publisher: Walker Books)
My Deadly Boots
by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler, illustrated by Samantha Campbell
Continuing on the theme of what our “stuff” means, My Deadly Boots is an energetic story of one boy and the footy boots that he loves.
The boy saves up for a bright pair of boots. They are his prized possession. He feels that they make him faster, higher, happier – “too deadly.” But when he loses them for a short time, his grandfather assures him that he already had all of his good qualities within himself, with or without his boots.
This is an excellent read aloud. The text bounces off the page – “My boots are fighting away the blues shoes, too speedy to lose shoes, find a partner and walk in two shoes, making me too deadly.” The themes are universal for nearly all kids, but it is also certainly an Indigenous story. At one point, the boy is confronted by a white police officer about his boots. “Why aren’t blackfellas allowed flash boots?,” he asks. If you’re looking to add more books to your collection representing and affirming First Nations pride and joy, My Deadly Boots is perfect. (publisher: Lothian – Hachette)
Sun and Moon
by Ella Noah Bancroft, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft
Another stunning First Nations book from this year for your collection is Sun and Moon. This has been a very strong favorite of my 5 year old.
Sun and Moon is a story about siblings. Buhwi Bira has a fiery, energetic personality, always ready for action. His sister Baribun is thoughtful, respectful and still. Anyone with siblings will get the way that these two struggle to understand each other. When a fight between them goes too far, they realise how much they mean to each other. This brother and sister become the Sun and the Moon – distinct but complimentary beings who work together and shine in their own ways.
You can feel the love that went into this book – penned by Ella Noah Bancroft and illustrated by her mother, the legendary Bronwyn Bancroft. It’s truly an art piece, one that will stand the test of time.
This is a story for anyone with siblings. (publisher: Hardie Grant)
11 Words For Love
by Randa Abdel-Fattah, illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Brothers and sisters, friends, partners, home – there are many types of love. In English, we primarily have one word for love, but other countries have many. In Arabic, there are more than 50!
A family flees their homeland. In their new country, one of the daughters shares 11 of the Arabic words for love. Each one is written in Arabic and English, with a beautifully poetic description. (For instance – “al-Wud: There’s the sunshine warm friendship that grows and glows, after two people meet “) We see their new lives in the evocative and beautiful illustrations by Maxine Beneba Clarke (honestly, is there anything Maxine Beneba Clarke cannot do brilliantly?)
This would be a special gift book for anyone you love. (publisher: Hachette)
Snap!
by Anna Walker
And now, as they say, for something completely different!
Snap! is pure joy. We follow a frog as it makes its way through a jungle. The whole story is told through visuals and a handful of onomatopoeic words (“Drip/drop” “Quick/quack,” etc.)
This book has been brilliant for my Miss 5, who has been working hard at putting letters together. She can sound out almost all of the words, and some she can work out through rhyming or inference. All of the words are such fun to say. She laughs the whole way through.
The illustrations, too, are so lush and quirky. The colours are a feast. With only two eyes and a little mouth, the frog reveals every thought on its expressive face!
This book is perfect for the pre-school/kindergarten set, with plenty of appeal for slightly older kids, too. (publisher: Scribble)
How We Came to Be: Surprising Sea Creatures
by Sami Bayly
From Snap!‘s funny frog to … spotted deep sea flounder? There’s never a dull moment in a Sami Bayly book!
Bayly has made a well-deserved name for herself in the information book nook of the Aussie kid-lit world. Her three “encyclopedias” have been about letting the world’s weirdest, ugliest, most peculiar animals shine. Her 2022 offering is in picture book size, and she even gets a role.
Surprising Sea Creatures is a tour through the deeper, lesser known parts of the ocean. Illustrated Sami is a deep sea diver who has a chat with some truly strange sea life. She meets anglerfish, yeti crabs, a barreleye fish, and a comb jelly, just to name a few. Each one explains its fascinating features and why they have developed these adaptations.
My Miss 9 has declared this the best book of 2022. If you, too, have a kid who loves nothing more than learning about strange and wonderful things, they will love anything by Sami Bayly. (publisher: Hachette)
I’ve saved the final two spots on this list for picture books that really speak to adults (possibly older teens) more than children. While I typically write about things for kids, these are deeply artistic and profound works. Holding a picture book brings us back to something elemental about childhood – a time when we were fully open to all sorts of learning and our emotions lived a little closer to the surface. Both of these books ask us to go to that place, and make it worth our while.
My Strange Shrinking Parents
by Zeno Sworder
Give yourself a bit of time and a few tissues to get through My Strange Shrinking Parents. Especially if you are the child of immigrant parents.
Sworder has crafted a metaphor about his parents who left their homelands in order to make a better life for him. They were deeply loving, but struggled with making their way in a new land. When they want to buy him a 3rd birthday cake, they don’t have the money and ask if there is something they can trade. “‘Five centimetres should do it,’ said the baker. / ‘Five centimetres of what,’ they asked. / ‘Your height, of course,’ replied the baker.” From there on out, they had to sacrifice a bit of their height when they needed to provide things for their child. By the time he was grown, they were doll sized.
The illustrations are deeply thoughtful. They are hazy and feel like a dream. Eastern and Western iconography meet in a way that is sometimes comforting and sometimes unsettling. We rarely see the parents’ full faces. Perspective shifts from page to page.
I take the “shrinking” to be a metaphor for their own wants and needs, and perhaps their pride. There was always love – big love – but, for many immigrant and disadvantaged parents, the work of growing children also requires a huge part of themselves. Often we don’t see the immensity of what they gave until we are grown with children of our own. (publisher: Thames & Hudson)
The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness
by Matt Ottley
Unlike anything I have every seen before, scholars could write essays on this master work. I, unfortunately, don’t have space for an essay here, and so will poorly try to do justice to The Tree of Ecstasy and the Unbearable Sadness in just a couple of paragraphs.
This is deeply personal work based on Ottley’s own lifetime with bipolar and psychosis. The “tree” is the thing that grows inside him, from childhood. Doctors “proclaimed there was a tree, whose flower was ecstasy, and whose fruit was sadness, growing within him.” The intensity of living with that tree inside may be hard to capture in words, but if you are as skilled as Ottley, pictures will tell many thousands of words. Music, too – the book comes with a CD of music composed by the author to accompany the experience.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about this book is that every page is a surprise. We may move from sepia chiaroscuro drawings to Dali-esque Surrealism to striking botanical painting to fantasy-scape, all within a few page turns. It makes perfect sense within the context of the shifting, misunderstood landscape of mental illness. I won’t say more about the journey, which takes place over seven movements. It’s not meant for summary or quick consumption. This is the work of a lifetime, hard earned and gratefully received for the honest gift that it is. (publisher: Dirt Lane Press)
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