Early Childhood Books featured on Your Kid’s Next Read in 2022

Over the year that was 2022, we have featured MANY a book on the Your Kids Next Read podcast. So the obvious end of year activity was getting the Teen-Elf (aka Pudstar) to collate all those books, via age groups, so you have THE best shopping lists to purchase all the books for Christmas and the holidays!

Also remember to check out your local independent bookstores – in Brisbane our favs are Scrumptious Reads, Avid Reader, Where the Wild Things Are, Riverbend Books, Bright and Early Books, Books @ Stones, Wildflowers and Reading Hours, Little Gnome Bookshop and Quick Brown Fox.

Links to purchase are all sorted for you. Click on the link or image and head to Booktopia for some cart filled fun.

A note on the purchase links via Booktopia – these links are affiliate links, which result in a small commission at no cost to the buyer. Buying books through Booktopia supports the work of Children’s Books Daily. Booktopia has a commitment to supporting Australian authors and publishers, and are an Australian operation.

EARLY CHILDHOOD GENRE

We love a picture book on the podcast! Picture books which are rich in language and visuals help to introduce young people to the wonder of books and mechanics of language.  The books on this list are books which are ‘read to’ books – one which an adult reads to and shares with a child. If a child has seen a picture book reading modelled over and over, they may start to ‘read’ the books themselves and tell the story using the visuals as a prompt. Young children will also most certainly demand favourite picture book to be read over and over again and the books on this list are perfect for for ‘read it again’ choices.

See also the post Lower Primary Books Featured on the Your Kid’s Next Read Podcast is 2022 for a selection of chapter books suitable to be read aloud, as well as my list of books of Best Books for Babies and Best Books for Toddlers.

So many books! Here’s the rest!

‘Perfect’ by Bluey 

‘Noongar Boodja Waangkan’ by Jayden Boundry and Tyrown Waigana

‘A Taste Adventure with Melissa Leong’ by Melissa Leong. Illustrated by Eleonora Arosio. Cover by Kitiya Palaskas. 

‘Grub’ by Sandra Severgnini  

‘The Marvellous Manner of Water’ by Phillip Bunting

‘You Are Enough: A little one’s guide to embracing self-love’ by Jess Sanders with art by Ocean Hughes

‘Whose Dinosaur Bones?’ by Chihiro Takeuchi 

‘How Do You Say I Love You?’ by Ashleigh Barton. Illustrated by Martina Heiduczek 

‘Flipper and Finnegan: The True Story of How Tiny Jumpers Saved Little Penguins’ by Sophie Cunningham, illustrated by Anil Tortop

‘Big World, Tiny World: Reef’ by Jess Racklyeft

‘I Feel the World’ Zanni Louise and Ameika Johnson. Illustrated by Nia Gould

‘Egg’ by Clare Atkins. Illustrated by Harrison Vial 

‘An Important Message from Mr Beaky’ by Cassie Leatham and Sue Lawson 

‘Great and Small’  by Alison McLennan and Connah Brecon

‘Ella and the Useless Day’ by Meg McKinlay and Karen Blair

‘Milly and the Mulberry Tree’ by Vikki Conley and Deb Hudson  

‘My Dad thinks he’s a pirate’ by Katrina Germein, illustrated by Tom Jellett

‘Bush Magic’ by Kylie Howarth

‘Australian Backyard Buddies’ by Andy Gepper

‘The New Dog’ by Chris McKimmie 

‘Wild Bush Days’ by Penny Harrison. Illustrated by Virginia Gray

‘Jigsaw: A puzzle in the post’ by Bob Graham

‘The Comet’ by Joe Todd-Stanton 

‘The Shop Train’ by Josie Wowolla Boyle. Illustrated by Paul Seden 

‘Open Your Heart to Country’ by Jasmine Seymour 

‘luwa tara luwa waypa’ by Dave mangenner Gough

‘Bluey and Bingos Fancy Restaurant Cookbook’ 

‘What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say’ by  Davina Bell, Hilary Jean Tapper 

‘Crumbs’ by Phillip Cummings. Illustrated by Shane DeVries 

‘Tangki Tjuta – Donkeys’ by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers

‘Rex Dinosaur in Disguise’ by Elys Dolan

‘Cranky Chicken Party Animals’ by Katherine Battersby 

‘Old Fellow’ by Christopher Cheng. Illustrated by Liz Anelli

‘A Feather on a Wing’ by Maria Speyer 

‘Kind’ by Jess McGeachin 

‘Hello’ by Jane Godwin and Jane Reiseger 

‘Miss Understood’ by Kathryn Apel and Beau Wylie 

‘Song of the White Ibis’ by Phillip Gwynne and Liz Anelli 

‘Miimi Marraal: Mother Earth’ by Melissa Greenwood 

‘A Little Peace of Stillness’ by Lee Anton-Hem. Illustrated by Kath Grimshaw 

‘The Echidna Near My Place’ written by Sue Whiting. Illustrated by Cate James

‘Freddy the Not-Teddy’ written by Kristen Schroeder. Illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper

‘Take a Breath’ by Sujean Rim

‘Let’s Build a Backyard‘ by Mike Lucas and Daron Parton 

‘Let’s Build A House’ by Mike Lucas and Daron Parton 

‘We Are Australians’ by Duncan Smith and Nicole Godwin. Illustrated by Jandamarra Cadd.

‘Alfie The Brave’ by Richard Harris and Simon Howe

 ‘Ceremony’ by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing. Illustrated by David Hardy

‘Emergency! Emergency! Vehicles to the Rescue’ by Rhian Williams. Illustrated by Tom Jellett

‘Our Library’ by Donna Rawlins

‘A Good Place’ by Lucy Cousins

‘The Boy with Flowers in his Hair’ by Jarvis

‘Grow’ by Riz Reyes. Illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows 

‘This is My Dad’ by Dimity Powell. Illustrated by Nicky Johnston 

‘That Cat’ by Jacqueline Harvey. Illustrated by Kate Isobel Scott (early childhood)

‘Moth in a Fancy Cardigan’ by Charlotte Lance. Illustrated by David Booth

‘Big World, Tiny World – Forest’ by Jess Racklyeft

‘Your School is the Best’ by Maggie Hutchings. Illustrated by Felicita Sala

‘Tiny Wonders’ by Sally Soweol Han

‘Our Country Ancient Wonders’ by Mark Greenwood. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. 

‘Mrs Koala’s Beauty Parlour’ by Catherine Jinks. Illustrated by Tania McCartney

‘Tractor’ by Sally Sutton. Illustrated by Brian Lovelock 

‘The Wild Guide to Starting School’ written by Laura Bunting. Illustrated by Philip Bunting. 

‘The Book That Did Not Want to be Read’ by David Sundin 

‘The Boy and the Elephant’ by Freya Blackwood. 

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As parents, there is SO much we’re meant to know when our kids first start school.

– Should my child already know how to read?
– Do I teach them or does the teacher?
– How does the tuckshop ordering work?!

If you need some support as you and your child start your reading journey, then I’m here to help. 

Read more…

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And just in case YOU want some books for Christmas (who doesn’t?) leave some hints about these fabulous choices!

Go forth and ‘add to cart’!

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More books featured on Your Kids Next Read podcast:

EARLY CHILDHOOD Book list

LOWER PRIMARY Book list

MIDDLE – UPPER PRIMARY Book list

MIDDLE GRADE Book list

YOUNG ADULT Book list

NON FICTION Book list