A fabulous list of Australian authors have been shortlisted for this year’s Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards.

The shortlisted titles are as follows:

Older readers

• Between Us by Clare Atkins
• Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein
• Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee (listen to our podcast here)
• Changing Gear by Scot Gardner
• The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick (gr rated 5 stars)
• The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot

Younger readers

• Brindabella by Ursula Dubosarsky, illus by Andrew Joyner (gr highly recommended)
• Leave Taking by Lorraine Marwood (gr highly recommended)
• Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler (gr rated 5 stars)
• The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty
• The Peacock Detectives by Carly Nugent
• His Name Was Walter by Emily Rodda

Early childhood

• Heads and Tails: Insects by John Canty
• The Dress-Up Box by Patrick Guest, illus by Nathaniel Eckstrom
• Rainbow Bear by Stephen Michael King
• Noni the Pony Rescues a Joey by Alison Lester (gr rated 5 stars)
• Tricky’s Bad Day by Alison Lester
• Here Comes Stinkbug! by Tohby Riddle

Picture books

• The Feather by Margaret Wild, illus by Freya Blackwood
• The Mediterranean by Armin Greder (gr highly recommended)
• Girl on Wire by Lucy Estela, illus by Elise Hurst
• Chalk Boy by Margaret Wild, illus by Mandy Ord
• The All New Must Have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley
• Cicada by Shaun Tan (gr rated 5 stars)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

• Bouncing Back: An Eastern Barred Bandicoot Story by Rohan Cleave, illus by Coral Tulloch
• The Happiness Box: A wartime book of hope by Mark Greenwood, illus by Andrew McLean
• Waves by Donna Rawlins, illus by Mark Jackson & Heather Potter
• Make Believe: M C Escher for kids
• Our Birds: ?ilimurru?gu Wäyin Malanynha by Siena Stubbs
• Sorry Day by Coral Vass, illus by Dub Leffler

Crichton Award for New Illustrators

• Australian Birds by Matt Chun
• Grandma Z by Daniel Gray-Barnet
• Dingo by Claire Saxby, illus by Tannya Harricks
• The Singing Seal by Merv Lamington, illus by Allison Langton
• Carmichael’s Journey by Shelly Fussell, illus by Samantha Metcalfe
• Red House, Blue House, Green House, Tree House! by Jane Godwin, illus by Jane Reiseger

The winners will be announced on 16 August 2019.