 Hi everyone, my name is Steph, this is Little Bookish Teacher and today I'm going to share with you the six books that have been shortlisted for the Picture Book of the Year for the CBCA Book Awards in 2023. I've already reviewed the books that are in the Book of the Year for Early Childhood category, I'll leave that linked on the screen, but the Picture Book category is probably the most well-known one for these awards, particularly if you're in school, but I thought I would share one, what the award actually recognises and then go through the six books that have been shortlisted this year, as well as the things that I really enjoyed about them. So for the 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 a wordless picture books where the story theme or concept is unified through illustrations. The age category is 0 to 18 years and some of these books may be for older readers or mature readers. So the first book that I'm going to talk about is Farmhouse by Sophie Blackwell, who happens to be a two-time Caldecott medalist. This book is really gorgeous because it is the history of a farmhouse that Sophie actually found on a property that she bought and she discovered artifacts from this house that was falling down, things like wallpaper and clothing and whatnot, and started to piece together the history of this farmhouse and that's what this story is about. So the blurb says, over a hill at the end of a road by glittering stream that twists and turns stands a house with 12 children who eat and sleep and work and play, who get into trouble and argue and dream, who milk the cows and fish in the stream, a farmhouse where they are growing up, waiting to see what the future might bring. During two-time Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackwell on an enchanted visit to a farmhouse across time to a place that echoes with stories. The end papers in this book also reflect sort of the ephemera that Sophie has found and she has used collage and art and illustration to actually bring this story to life. I love this book because it's kind of a love letter to the past. Sophie had to investigate and find out more about the family who used to live here and there were in fact 12 children who lived in this house and she met some of the descendants who still lived in town and was able to piece together their story. In terms of the text there's no beginning or ending punctuation in the text so the story sort of weaves through the pages, it's very lyrical, it's very beautiful to read and the illustrations are so detailed they really invite you just to sit on each page and take it in as well as see how the text links to what is actually happening within the illustrations. I love that Sophie used found objects like wallpaper and curtains and bits and pieces to actually create her collage so they're woven into it along with more contemporary items that she has used to create the collage and I especially like that this is based off a real family and a real history because it really adds some depth to the story. There is a fantastic author's note at the end that also includes some photos of the house as Sophie found it and the things that she found there so it becomes a really great read like this would be perfect for older readers because there's so much to explore in it. Then there is Frank's Red Hat by Shawnee Avery which I think I've actually talked about on this channel before. This is another really gorgeous picture book and the blurb is Frank is full of ideas some are good and some are, some are not but when Frank gets a colorful idea in and on his head will a few nervous penguins stop him from sharing it. So this is about Frank who starts to knit these amazing beanies and after a couple of incidences gone wrong when some of the penguins try out his designs they really go no sorry no these these things make us nervous so we are we're not going to wear them anymore. And Frank is determined to sort of keep making something that his community will appreciate and when they don't he throws them out but as it turns out there are other animals that live around Frank's home who do deeply appreciate his ideas and his work and it's a really lovely story from that perspective. I love the beanie endpapers I just think they're so fun because straight away I can think of you know reading this book to kids and having them design their own beanie and talk about the significance of you know why they chose those colors or patterns or things like that. I love the very muted color palette it's all black and white except for the pops of color of Frank's beanies there are also things in the illustrations that happen that are not explicitly stated within the text so you have to pay close attention because they're really funny because there's a walrus and Frank keeps stealing parts of his task but you don't hear that in the text you just kind of figure it out from looking at what's happening in in the illustrations so things like that that really draw you in because you have to pay close attention to what's happening in the pictures. I like the idea of being brave and being strong enough to continue to pursue something that you are interested in a passion that you have despite the fact that everyone around you is telling you it's not a great idea so from that perspective it has really great risk taking and perseverance themes through it and I really appreciated that about this book class it's pretty funny. There is also the strange shrinking parents a tall tale by Zeno Sorder which is an absolutely gorgeous book and the blurb says one boy's parents travel from far off lands to improve their son's life but what happens next is unexpected what does it mean when your parents are different what shape does love take and what happens when your parents sacrifice a part of themselves for you so this is the story about a boy who has parents who are immigrants to a country and they sacrifice a lot for him to keep him safe to keep him healthy to make sure that he has the best chance at life and so as he continues to grow taller they begin to shrink. I love that this is a story about immigration and about the love of parents and the sacrifice that they make and it's done in such a really unique and interesting and visual way to show the lengths that a parent will go to for the sake of their children. I do love the teapot endpapers in this book I think they're absolutely gorgeous it's another connection to the place where the family is originally from and there are lots of little nods to culture in the book that are really beautiful. I love the really muted color palette in it it has that very old time looking through the lens of history sort of feel to it which is beautiful and also that idea of the transformative power of love and the way that this family just deeply loves each other and I just had a really wonderful time of reading this. This would be such a beautiful book to unpack with older students because there is so much in it and there is Our Dreaming by Curly Saunders and Dub Lefler. The blurb on this one says could you go little one walk with me I want to tell you our dreaming as the elders told it to me award-winning First Nations storytellers Gandangara raised Gnai woman Curly Saunders and big and ball man Deb Lufner explored deep love and respect for country and all her spirits past present and beyond. So this is a dreaming story it is told from the perspective of two echidnas who are traveling there is an elder echidna and a younger one and as they travel across the land they explore what the dreaming means to them. It is a beautiful Indigenous or First Nations story the illustrations are just soft and gorgeous the whole way throughout the book. It explores the significance of the dreaming as well as the way that it differs slightly between the different countries and the different people that belong to Australia's First Nations people. It highlights how these stories are passed from elders to the younger generations. It is a bilingual text we do have words in Gandangara and there is a word list at the back of the book to help unpack what those words mean and it is a gorgeous book with lots to look at on every page. I remember when it was first published but I hadn't had a chance to read it yet so I was so glad that I got to read it for this video. There is Paradise Sands by Levy Penfold. This is a really gorgeous book for older readers. On the back it simply says a story of enchantment and the blurb says when a young girl and her brothers step into a ghostly hotel they fall under the spell of the mysterious teller. She makes a deal with him to free them all from his haunting paradise but can she hold up her side of the bargain? A spellbinding tale sumptuously illustrated by Levy Penfold. So this is a book that right from the very start has a sense of foreboding about it as this group of kids who are trying to reach their mother stumble across this hotel. That is to use a word from the the book Enchanting and as they walk in there they suddenly discover it's not quite what it seems and it's up to the youngest daughter to free all of them so that they can go and visit their mother. It has a very lyrical and rhyming quality to the storytelling style which draws you in but also enhances that sense of foreboding, that sense of warning about what might happen next. These illustrations are absolutely gorgeous in detail. They're very photorealistic in a way and I loved that this Enchanted Hotel had that sense of almost that fey enchantment sort of quality, that idea of you can't eat or drink anything while you're in there or else you become trapped by that place. And it does have a message that you know everything does have a price. Things do require sacrifice at times and also at the very end we discovered that their mother is quite possibly unwell or ill. She is in a place where they have to visit her and we realize that there is a link between the mother and this hotel as well and so there's a lot of opportunities for older readers to make connections and to tease out what the author might be trying to tell us within this story. So from that perspective it has a lot of depth and would be a really intriguing sort of book study I think for older readers. And then there is Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner and illustrated by Tom Jellot which he says it hit the road on an unforgettable Ozzy adventure. This is actually a graphic novel. The blurb says Daisy loves her home and the red dirt all around it. She lives in sort of a central Australian location. When her dad realizes she thinks that the Australian anthem is about a country dirt by sea and that she's never seen the ocean he sets off to show her the wild and wonderful Ozzy coast and along the way they discover much more. So this is a road trip book. I love the end papers in this book because this is a map of Australia that Daisy has created and then when you get to the end of the book she is filled it in because she has been to all of these places and suddenly she knows more about them. As I said it is told in a very in a comic style and Daisy and her dad set off on this epic coastal trip. They literally travel all the way around the coastline of Australia to all the different states and along the way they get to know each other and grow closer together. As I said I love the end papers. I love this road trip quality. This is probably feels the most Ozzy in terms of language style. There's colloquialisms and slang used. I love that we get a lot of iconic coastal landmarks around the country. There are little titles that clue us into exactly where they are. I had a bit of a laugh because I've been watching a documentary recently on Ningaloo and it featured in this book and I thought that was great timing because I didn't know all that much about Ningaloo until I was watching the documentary so it was very timely for me. And most importantly I think we have this beautiful connection between a father and his daughter when they may not have necessarily been close before. We find out that something has obviously happened to Daisy's mom. She's no longer with them and this is a way for them to actually grow not only closer to each other but to their memories of her. And I think that is really poignant especially in something that is as fun as this road trip where they're doing all of these amazing things and seeing incredible sights. And of course there are plenty of Australian facts in here so this is a really great one if you want something that is a gentle information text about places in Australia while still having a really fun, entertaining, engaging story. Alright so those are the six books that are shortlisted for the picture book of the year category for the CBCA Awards. I really don't know which one will take out a category. I have a sneaking suspicion it might be my strange shrinking parents but other than that I think it could be any of them. I think they're all incredibly illustrated, they've got amazing stories. They're all very different from one another as well which is nice that there is such a variety in the shortlist this year. I'm looking forward to finding out in August which one has actually won the category but I think they're all amazing books that have so much potential for use in the classroom. So I will leave links to all of the books and more information about them down below so you can check them out. In the comments I'd love to know if you've read any of them or if you've used them in a classroom or if you've just read them with your own children. Feel free to have a chat to me about them down below. Otherwise I hope that wherever you are in the world you're staying safe and healthy and I will see you in my next video. Thanks so much for watching, bye everyone.