Amid the sand dunes

Andrew Rowe and Hannah Sommerville

Little people love to explore little worlds! Explore the hidden spaces and sounds across the sand dunes with this beautiful board book for our smallest nature-lovers, from the CBCA award-winning creators of In the Rockpool and Jetty Jumping, Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville.

From the YAC team: So many creatures and details to spot each time you read. Perfect to accompany baby on Summer beach adventures.

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First colours / First numbers

Jess Racklyeft

From the deepest blue sea to the centre's red sand, can you find a rainbow across this wild land? Explore Australia in this first concept board book about colour. From red rosellas to purple sea daisies, here is an introduction to the wildlife of Australia for the littlest nature-lovers.

From the YAC team: You can't help but love Jess Racyleft's bright illustrations of Australian animals. Great for pointing and talking about familiar backyard and bush creatures, as well as introducing colours and numbers.

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Wiggle, wobble, walk!

Mike Dumbleton and Sarah Boese

From wiggly kicks to wobbly steps, follow a bunch of adorable babies as they discover all the amazing things their little legs can do! Whether they're crawling, standing, walking or running, every move is part of their big adventure!

From the YAC team: The rhymes make this such a pleasure to read aloud, and your baby or toddler will love seeing other little faces and bodies in the illustrations.

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The bookshop on lemon tree lane

Mike Lucas and Sofya Karmazina

This endearing picture book in rhyme is a love letter to bookshops and the space they provide for discovery and delight. A little boy adores visiting the old bookshop down Lemon Tree Lane with his grandpa its nooks and crannies, its endless stories, and even the bookshop dog at the back. That is, until the day the owners box up the books, take down the shelves and lock the doors, and the bookshop is no more. But then something wonderful happens ...

From the YAC team: Local SA author. The words and illustrations work perfectly together to tell a beautiful story. All the warm fuzzies.

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Take a breath, big red monster!

Ed Emberley

This monstrously fun companion to the bestselling classic Go Away, Big Green Monster! shows kids how to calm down with more than ten interactive peekaboo pages. Big Red Monster is angry! Turning the pages reveals colourful illustrations of different parts of the cranky creature's face-from two mean green eyes to a big thundery loud mouth-as he gets increasingly upset. We can help him calm down by taking deep breaths-in and out-until even his yellow-and-orange firecracker hair disappears. This ingenious, interactive book about working through feelings of anger through play, imagination, and breathing deeply feels as fresh and innovative today as Go Away, Big Green Monster! did 30 years ago.

From the YAC team: We read this aloud at Storytime and kindy visits this year, a great one for talking about anger and practicing deep breathing.

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The most boring book in the world

Charlie Leahey and Darcy Prendergast

Our narrator, represented by a pair of bespectacled eyes on the page, really wants the book to have only boring things in it. Like a grey cardigan. Or a potato. But the reader can't help but put weird and wonderful things on every page, frustrating the narrator all the way to the end. Kids will delight in the opportunity to watch the rules being tossed aside for the sake of joyous silliness! Readers will love doing everything they are asked not to do!

From the YAC team: A big hit with kindys this year! We had lots of laughs with this one.

The train at the end of my street

Tom Jellett

This monstrously fun companion to the bestselling classic Go Away, Big Green Monster! shows kids how to calm down with more than ten interactive peekaboo pages. Big Red Monster is angry! Turning the pages reveals colourful illustrations of different parts of the cranky creature's face-from two mean green eyes to a big thundery loud mouth-as he gets increasingly upset. We can help him calm down by taking deep breaths-in and out-until even his yellow-and-orange firecracker hair disappears. This ingenious, interactive book about working through feelings of anger through play, imagination, and breathing deeply feels as fresh and innovative today as Go Away, Big Green Monster! did 30 years ago.

From the YAC team: Great for your little train/transport enthusiasts! We love the illustrations with different details to notice in every read. Be inspired to take a family train journey!

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A good place

Lucy Cousins

Follow four adorable insect friends as they look for a good place to live. A delightful new picture book from the award-wining author and illustrator Lucy Cousins.Four insect friends are looking for a place to live – one that has flowers for Bee, leaves for Ladybird, a pond for Dragonfly and dead wood for Beetle. But – oh no! – with dangers all around, a good place is not so easy to find.This brand new picture book from internationally acclaimed author-illustrator Lucy Cousins sees new depth and contrast to her familiar vivid colour palette. This story brings the natural world to joyful and vibrant life for young readers, inviting them to consider what they can do to help make our planet a good place for all living creatures

From the YAC team: We took this book to childcares and kindys around the City of Unley as part of our EcoBuddies project. It is a story that children connect really well with. It has a clear message about how our environment effects living creatures all around us.

Ribbit

Fred Blunt

It was a beautiful froggy day. The sun was shining and Frog was sitting on his favourite log enjoying the peace and quiet...

From the YAC team: Funny and expressive! A wonderful read aloud.

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One little duck

Katrina Germein and Danny Snell

One little duck went out one day, over the hills and far away. Mother Duck said ...'Moo Moo Moo Moo,' and Cow said, 'Wait! Now I'm coming too.' Oh no, Mother Duck has forgotten how to quack! Every day, she tries a new barnyard call, and every night Little Duck returns with a new farm friend. A fun twist on the song 'Five Little Ducks', this delightful story from the award-winning duo Katrina Germein and Danny Snell is destined to become a new classic.

From the YAC team: A firm favourite for us! Local illustrator and author, and a funny twist on the classic nursery rhyme.

The black cockatoo with one feather blue

Jodie McLeod and Eloise Short

What happens when the one thing that makes you special is stolen? Join the Black Cockatoo in this fun, read-aloud adventure through the Australian bush as she searches for her missing feather... and discovers what's truly important. A story about friendship, kindness and the magic of giving.

From the YAC team: We love stories that celebrate beautiful Australian animals! 

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Worms are our friends

Toni D'Alia and Mimi Purnell

Worms Are Our Friends invites preschool readers into a stunning garden to admire the hard work of one tiny worm, and to marvel at the essential role it plays in nature. Down in the garden, one fine, sunny day, a young little worm gets ready to play. Each book in the bestselling 'Our Friends in the Garden' series teaches preschoolers about different creatures found in our gardens, and introduces them to the way insects and bugs contribute to our ecosystem. Worms Are Our Friends showcases the art of hugely popular digital artist Mimi Purnell, and with its stunning textured and sparkling cover, it is the perfect special gift for any young nature-lover. Discover how earthworms help our soil, plants and environment thrive, and encourage your kids to love nature exploration and outdoor learning.

From the YAC team: Beautiful illustrations, with factual information broken down into a simple and engaging story. Each book in the bestselling 'Our Friends in the Garden' series teaches preschoolers about different creatures found in our gardens, and introduces them to the way insects and bugs contribute to our ecosystem.

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Spiro

Anna McGregor

Spiro's formula for spidery success- 11% hunger to succeed (or actual hunger) 34% trying again and again ... and again! 53% giving it another shot And 2% spider silk. A hilarious tale of one spider's determined search for a decent meal from award winning author and illustrator Anna McGregor.

From the YAC team: Cute and funny!

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Here come the cousins

Maggie Hutchings and Sarah Zweck

I count down the days all year until seven smiling cousins bounce through Pop's door...Finally the cousins have arrived! Get ready for races to the beach, duck-dives in the waves and snoozy afternoons in the hammock.

From the YAC team: The bond between cousins is so special and this book highlights all the best bits. The waiting for summer holidays, the family dynamics, the epic adventures to be had are all captured beautifully. This book also will make parents smile as they reminisce about their own childhoods.

Another year around the sun

Katrina Germein and Alice Lindstrom

Another year around the sun. Happy birthday, precious one. Follow a family through a year full of magical moments spent outdoors, from splashing in waves to jumping on leaves and watching the world change with every season.

From the YAC team: A gorgeous picture book perfect for gifting, Another Year Around the Sun is a gentle story of a year of growth in your child’s life. What they get up to, how the weather changes and the love a family shares are all beautifully illustrated by local SA author and illustrator duo

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Sidney of Sydney

Sue Whiting and Liz Anelli

Sydney is a big city with a busy harbour. Sidney is a young penguin ... and he's trouble. Sidney doesn't mean to be trouble, he's just curious. And one day that curiosity takes Sidney all over Sydney and on a grand adventure that lands Sidney in ... TROUBLE!

From the YAC team: If you have ever been to Sydney you will recognise the iconic landmarks and ferries in this gorgeously illustrated picture book. Based on a true story, this book follows the touching adventure of a penguin who gets lost in a storm.

Hidden

Larrisa Ferenchuk and Fiona West

A little girl helps her neighbourhood connect with each other in this touching story about friendship, inclusion and sharing. Do you ever feel like you can see the whole world, but no one can see you? Hidden amongst the leaves of a fig tree, a young girl watches as the people in her street busily go about their day, disappearing into their homes or cars without looking up. She tries to get the neighbours' attention as she moves through the branches, but no-one notices. As the girl watches her neighbours, she wonders how she can get them to see her - and everyone else around them. A plan begins to form, involving generosity, kindness, and a lot of figs

From the YAC team: We were lucky enough to have this author visit us this year! It's a very sweet and gentle book.

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The garden at the end of the world

Cassy Polimeni and Briony Stewart

When Isla makes a special discovery, she and her botanist mother adventure to the Global Seed Vault in Norway. Isla is going to leave her precious package there, so children who haven't even been born yet can grow and eat the food we all enjoy. What else will they encounter along the way? The Garden at the End of the World is a hopeful story about protecting nature's treasures for the future.

From the YAC team: We love this so much. Did you know about the seed bank in Norway? A fascinating journey about this incredible facility and its mission. A symbol of hope for the world.

Dear librarian

Lydia M. Sigwarth and Romina Galotta

In this story based on the author's life, a young homeless girl finds a different kind of home in the library.

From the YAC team: We may be biased because it's a book about librarian, but this book really left a lasting impression and opened up some great discussion. It's the most stunning picture book about the impact one person can have on a child’s life. Lydia’s family are struggling and when she moves to a new area, her family spend time at the library. The librarian shows kindness and Lydia finds her place in the world. A wonderful, heartwarming story perfect for a child looking for their place in the world. 

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Sunday skating

Andrea Rowe and Hannah Somerville

Clancy's friends skate through the quiet Sunday streets, while Clancy feels self-conscious, and embarrassed, that he's just a beginner. His board stays tucked under his arm; his feet stay firmly on the ground. But his friends aren't giving up on him, and Clancy realises the only way forward is to step on his board and try ... even if he might fall.

From the YAC team: The next edition from Andrea Rowe, following the success of Jetty Jumping and Castle Crashing. This book perfectly captures the joy of childhood and has a lovely thread of resilience and supporting each other.

Spectacular snakes

Anna and Tim Flannery

There's more to snakes than them being venomous and cold-blooded. Did you know a snake can still grow even when it hasn't eaten for months? Or that snakes have flexible jaws that allow them to eat prey that's much larger than them? Or that snakes are masters of disguise? With more than 3,700 sub-species around the world, there's a snake to delight and frighten every kind of reader, from Australia's deadly Eastern brown snake to the green anaconda, the heaviest snake in the world. Not to mention the teeny-tiny Barbados thread snake, which is half as long as a pencil! So come along on a fascinating expedition with the world-renowned scientist and explorer Tim Flannery and his daughter Emma as they explore the world's weirdest, slitheriest reptile family.

From the YAC team: For your wildlife warriors, lovers of scaly creatures, and fascinating facts! Tim and Emma Flannery are publishing a series of these non-fiction animal focused books and they are just brilliant!

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Hello every body!

Samantha Curcio

Hello Every Body! is a picture book that joyfully explores and celebrates the human body in all its many shapes and sizes. With playful illustrations and a joyful tone, Hello Every Body! is fun, diverse and inclusive, showing that all bodies are fabulous just the way they are, and that our differences make us who we are.

From the YAC team: An introduction to body positivity! We know that body issues start young, and we've heard stories from our families about children bringing home things that they have heard in school. This is the perfect book to read together and help build acceptance and celebration of all different types of bodies.

Ebb & Flo (reader series)

Laura and Philip Bunting

Ebb & Flo is a new children’s book series by internationally acclaimed picture book creators Laura Bunting and Philip Bunting, created to bring fun and laughter to the learn-to-read process, for children aged 4-8.

From the YAC team: The Bunting team has brought out a whole bunch of excellent and humorous picture books, and now they have turned their talents to a reader series that your child can get stuck into. You will find these in an Easy Reader series box.

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Elephant & Piggie (reader series)

Mo Willems

Discover the hilarious and award-winning series by Mo Willems, king of early-years comedy. Perfect for children just learning to read, this highly original book series is told entirely in speech bubbles with repetition of familiar phrases.

From the YAC team: We just couldn't resist throwing Elephant and Piggie into this list! ABSOLUTE favourites of ours. They have been around for a long time, but we cannot recommend them enough. So much character, so many laughs, you and your child will read these over and over again and have the best time. We have even performed a couple of these stories as plays - hilarious! You will find these in an Easy Reader series box.

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