Children's Book Council of Australia Awards 2021

August 2021

Below is the shortlist of books for the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards. Further information can be found on the CBCA website. Click on the links to be taken to their entries in our catalogue and place a hold.

Alternatively, Storybox has many of these books in their catalogue, along with activity for each book. You will need your library card and PIN to access the site. Storybox is an online resource where you can have your favourite stories read by Australia's best storytellers.

Book of the Year - Older Readers

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling. Ages 13-18 years.

Note: Books in this category are for mature readers and some may deal with particularly challenging themes including violence and suicide. Parental guidance is recommended

The End of the World is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell

WINNER - Identical twin sisters Summer and Winter live alone on a remote island, sheltered from a destroyed world. They survive on rations stockpiled by their father and spend their days deep in their mother’s collection of classic literature—until a mysterious stranger upends their carefully constructed reality.

Metal Fish, Falling snow by Cath Moore

HONOURS - Dylan and her adored French mother dream of one day sailing across the ocean to France. Paris, Dylan imagines, is a place where her black skin won’t make her stand out, a place where she might feel she belongs. But when she loses her mother in a freak accident, Dylan finds herself on a very different journey.

Where We Begin by Christie Nieman

HONOURS - Seventeen-year-old Anna is running into the night. Fleeing her boyfriend, her mother, and everything she has known. She is travelling into the country, to the land and the grandparents she has never met, looking for answers to questions that have never been asked.

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Twig is all alone after his dad goes missing. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer.

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Lissa is home on her own after school one afternoon when a stranger turns up on the doorstep carrying a baby. Reed is on the run - surely people are looking for him? He's trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa's mum might have some answers. But how could he be connected to Lissa's family - and why has he been left in charge of a baby?

Peta Lyre's Rating Normal by Anna Whateley

'I'm Peta Lyre,' I mumble. Look people in the eye if you can, at least when you greet them. I try, but it's hard when she is smiling so big, and leaning in. Peta Lyre is far from typical. The world she lives in isn't designed for the way her mind works, but when she follows her therapist's rules for 'normal' behaviour, she can almost fit in without attracting attention.

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. 7-12 years.

Note: Some of the titles in this category may only be suitable for readers who are in the upper primary years as they contain mature themes, including violence. Parental guidance is recommended.

Aster's Good Right Things by Kate Gordon

WINNER - Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better.

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty

HONOURS - Illustrated by Kelly Canby. Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the biggest party in their Kingdom's history to welcome him.

Worse Things by Sally Murphy

HONOURS - Illustrated by Sarah Davis. From the award-winning author of Pearl Verses the World and Toppling comes a story about connections, the ways they are made and what happens when they are lost.

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

Sometimes it's good to be wild. Sometimes you have to be wild. When the Russian Army marches into East Prussia at the end of the war, the Wolf family must flee. Liesl, Otto and their baby sister Mia find themselves lost and alone, in a blizzard, in the middle of a war zone.

Bindi by Kirli Saunders

Illustrated by Dub Leffler. Meet 11-year-old Bindi. She’s not really into maths but loves art class and playing hockey. Her absolute favourite thing is adventuring outside with friends or her horse, Nell. A new year starts like normal—school, family, hockey, dancing. But this year hasn’t gone to plan!

The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all - a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it.

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0-6 years.

No! Never! by Libby Hathorn & Lisa Hathorn-Jarman

WINNER - Illustrated by Mel Pearce. A cautionary tale about a little girl who drives her parents up the wall when she starts answering 'No! Never!' to all their requests - and what happens when the tables are turned on her.

Anemone is Not the Enemy by Anna McGregor

HONOURS - Anemone lives alone in the rock pool. The tide comes in and the tide goes out. All Anemone wants is a friend, but friends are hard to make when you accidentally sting everyone who comes near you. Perhaps Clownfish has a solution to the problem...

We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

HONOURS - Magoo has his own ideas about what a dog should do – in the kitchen, in the car, at dinnertime and bedtime! But there are so many rules! So many things a dog can't do. But wait! Magoo, THIS is for you... Silly dogoo, we do love you!

Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen

Spend a day with Australia’s most vibrant and unique feathered friends. Full of splashing shorebirds, clattering cockatoos, parading penguins and greedy galahs, Busy Beaks is the perfect introduction to birds of all shapes and sizes.

Who's Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green

Illustrated by Anna Zobel. When Nicholas wants to know which of Elvi’s two mums is her real mum, she gives him lots of clues. Her real mum is a circus performer, and a pirate, and she even teaches spiders the art of the web. But Nicholas still can’t work it out! Luckily, Elvi knows just how to help Nicholas understand.

There is no such thing by Heidi McKinnon

Bear can't sleep. Did you hear that? Did you feel that? What was it? It wasn't a hungry giant or a blood-sucking spider or a fire-breathing dragon because there is no such thing… Is there?

Picture Book of the Year

Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. Ages 0-18 years.

Note: Some of these books may be for mature readers.

How to make a Bird by Meg McKinlay

WINNER - Illustrated by Matt Ottley. From award-winning author Meg McKinlay and celebrated artist Matt Ottley comes a moving and visually stunning picture book that celebrates the transformative power of the creative process from inception through recognition to celebration and releasing into the world.

Not Cute by Philip Bunting

HONOURS - Quokka did not like being cute. Not one bit. The romping, stomping, chomping tale of one stubbornly adorable marsupial.

Your Birthday Was the Best by Maggie Hutchings

HONOURS - Illustrated by Felicita Sala. From the author of the best-selling Mermaid! and Unicorn! and one of the world’s hottest new picture-book illustrators comes the story of a plucky young cockroach who gate-crashes a birthday party – with hilarious results.

The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood

Jules and George are the same in every way. It is quite impossible to tell them apart. Like all twins, Jules and George do everything together. But after a long, hot day at the beach, even twins sometimes disagree ...

Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Or is it just annoying? This irresistible read-aloud helps children deal with the sensitive topics of conformity, individuality and belonging in an accessible, kid-friendly way.

Ellie's Dragon by Bob Graham

When Ellie is very little, she finds a newborn dragon fresh from the egg on a supermarket shelf, and calls him Scratch. He is quite the sweetest thing she has ever seen! From that day on, Ellie and Scratch do everything together.

Eve Pownall Award

Entries in this category should be books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. Ages 0-18 years.

Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman

WINNER - Illustrated by Liz Anelli. In the tropical wetlands and escarpments of Kakadu National Park, the seasons move from dry to wet to dry again. Those seasons have shaped the astonishing variety of plants, animals, birds, insects ... migratory birds by the thousands, grasshoppers and owls, lizards and turtles, fruit bats and spear grass.

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly

HONOURS - Dangerous animals get a bad rap, but this beautifully illustrated encyclopaedia helps us appreciate the incredible features of some of our more hair-raising animal species.

Strangers on Country by David Hartley & Kirsty Murray

HONOURS - Illustrated by Dub Leffler. Giom, Anco and Duramboi are the names of just three young shipwreck survivors and convict escapees who were given refuge by Indigenous communities during the nineteenth century. No one knows exactly how many received sustenance from the local people, but there are some documented accounts of these experiences.

Azaria: A True History by Maree Coote

I truly believe Azaria's story is a founding and iconic tale in Australia's history. A cautionary tale of mob thinking, and the rush to judgement. Of distrust of the "other", and ignorance of our natural history and of the knowledge of First Nations peoples.

Hold on! Saving the Spotted Handfish by Gina M. Newton

Illustrated by Rachel Tribout. A beautiful picture book about a quirky little fish that is famous for walking on its 'hands'. Have you ever seen a fish that could do a handstand? The Spotted Handfish has survived since the time of the dinosaurs – until now.

Matthew Flinders - Adventures on Leaky Ships by Carole Wilkinson

Illustrated by Prue Pittock. Matthew Flinders was determined to map the entire coast of the continent we now call Australia. His story is packed to the gunwales with adventure – storms and shipwrecks, death and danger, a race to beat the French. But more than this, it is a story of loyalty to his crew, love for his wife, and affection for the brave little cat who sailed with him.

CBCA Award for New Illustrator

This Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration. Ages 0-18 years.

This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder

WINNER - With a strong message of interconnectedness, hope and empowerment, This Small Blue Dot follows a little girl exploring the big and small things in life. From contemplating our place on this ‘blue dot’ to the best Italian, Chinese and Indian desserts, the book provides a broader, more inclusive view of who we are, where we come from and where our dreams may take us.

Ribbit Rabbit Robot Illustrated by Sofya Karmazina

Written by Victoria Mackinlay. When a friendly frog, a greedy rabbit and a robot with a short fuse discover a magic lamp, chaos follows...and friendship is found.

No! Never! Illustrated by Mel Pearce

Written by Libby Hathorn & Lisa Hathorn-Jarman. A cautionary tale about a little girl who drives her parents up the wall when she starts answering 'No! Never!' to all their requests - and what happens when the tables are turned on her.

Seven Seas of Fleas by Dave Petzold

Bryce McFee is an ordinary boy bored with washing the flea-ridden family dog. So, he escapes to his imagination and flies across the backyard with a dandelion and seven bees. Trouble strikes when a swarm of pesky fleas gives chase, threatening to ruin his adventure.

Shirley Purdie: My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe by Shirley Purdie

Told in English and Gija, this is the story of Shirley Purdie, famous Gija artist, as told through her paintings, as part of the Ngaalim-Ngalimboorro Ngagenybe exhibition created for the 2018 National Portrait Gallery exhibition So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history.

Go Away, Worry Monster! Illustrated by Robin Tatlow-Lord

Written by Graham Brooke. Worry Monster loves ‘helping’ Archie worry, especially the night before he starts his new school. Archie feels so anxious that his head hurts, his tummy flutters and his heart pounds. He soon realizes that the only way to feel better is to make Worry Monster go away.