📚 20 Best Children’s Books for Travelling Australia

Are We There Yet?

by Alison Lester

The year I turned eight, Mum and Dad took us on a trip around Australia. Luke, Billy and I missed school for the whole winter term.

Join Grace and her family on their adventurous and sometimes funny expedition. A warm, heartfelt story based on an actual journey undertaken by the much-loved, award-winning author and illustrator, Alison Lester.

Pages: 32
Ages: 2 years +
On eBay: Hardcover & Audio CD →

Why I Love Australia

by Bronwyn Bancroft

Gorges that plummet into serpentine shadows… Cloaks of white that drape the rocky crags of snowy mountains…

In this magnificent celebration of country, Bronwyn Bancroft uses both images and words to explore the awe-inspiring beauty of the Australian continent, and to express the depth of her feelings for it.

Pages: 32
Ages: 3 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

Under the Stars

by Lisa Harvey-Smith

Under the Stars- Bedtime Astrophysics transports curious kids and inquisitive adults on an incredible journey through the night sky.

Explore our solar system from the comfort of your cosy bed. Find out why the sky is blue. Fly around a black hole and peer inside! Learn why Jupiter has stripes.

When astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith isn’t looking skyward, she is answering the smart questions of school kids. Her engaging storytelling in this colourfully illustrated book brings the night sky to life, giving amazing new perspectives to young explorers who are always asking, ‘Why?’

Pages: 192
Ages: 6 – 12 years
On eBay: Paperback, Hardcover & Audio Book →

I Remember

by Joanne Crawford

I Remember is an exquisite tale of memory. Set in the Geraldton area of Western Australia, an elderly woman remembers the camping trips of her childhood.

As her recollections fade in and out, she is drawn to think about the elusiveness of what she can remember from so long ago.

Pages: 36
Ages: 3 – 8 years
On eBay: Paperback →

Australia Is Our Home

by Laura Giuffrida

Meet some of the children who call Australia home and make Australia the special place it is, in this cute and colourful picture book!

With beautiful illustrations by Julia Chapman, this book is about the differences that make us special and that bring us together as Australians and as people.

Although each child in the story comes from somewhere different, they have so much in common… and that’s what makes Australia so unique! We are all part of the story of this wonderful place.

We all live in Australia
Australia is our home
We make this country special
We make this land our own

This book was written, illustrated and produced in Castlemaine using environmentally friendly inks and paper. Carbon credits were also purchased to offset production.

Pages: 24
Ages: 3 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

Crabbing with Dad

by Paul Seden

Crabbing with Dad is a beautiful children’s picture book debut from Darwin-based author and illustrator, Paul Seden. Aimed at a younger audience, children will love reading about the adventures of two small children as they go out in the boat with Dad to set crab pots in their secret spot.

Sunscreen and life jackets on, they zoom off into the creek, passing other boats and people fishing along the way. It’s a good tide to be on the water and they even come across Cousin Dan throwing his net as far as he can. Crab pots set, they all wait patiently and play games as they guess what fish could be swimming under their boat. When it’s finally time to check the crab pots, the adventure begins as they pull up a big, angry crab! Dad teaches the children how to handle the crabs very carefully so they don’t get nipped!

Pages: 32
Ages: 3 – 8 years
On eBay: Paperback →

Sam’s Bush Journey

by Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Like most young boys, Sam loves DVDs, iPods, and iPhones. He hates the outdoors, and would be happy if it all disappeared. Then he goes to stay with his Nanna who loves the outdoors and goes for long walks in the Australian bush.

Through storytelling, Nanna begins to teach Sam about the bush: its shelter, food, and water. “There’s plenty of food in the bush,” she explains to a bored Sam and his grumbling stomach. Soon, Sam realises through his own journey that the bush has an abundance of good things to offer—including adventure. Brimming with themes that will promote discussion among young readers, the ideas explored include journeys, the environment, storytelling, aboriginal knowledge of the bush, and intergenerational understanding.

Pages: 32
Ages: 5 – 9 years
On eBay: Paperback →

The Bushfire Book

by Polly Marsden

An accessible and reassuring picture book that teaches children what they need to know about bushfires so they can understand what’s happening and be smart and prepared, not scared.

Australia is a big country with all sorts of weather. And sometimes extreme weather like bushfires. Bushfires can make a real mess of things. The air fills with smoke. The skies turn red. Ash falls. Precious things burn. But we don’t need to be scared, we just need to know all about bushfires and prepare for them. This book will help you understand what causes bushfires, introduce you to all the clever people who are keeping an eye on them, and teach you how to be prepared and not scared.

A practical and reassuring book for children to help them understand bushfires and what action they can take to feel less anxious and more prepared as Australia faces longer and more intense bushfire seasons.

Pages: 32
Ages: 6 – 10 years
On eBay: Hardcover →

Under the Southern Cross

by Frané Lessac

Night-time in Australia, animals are waking, people are exploring, discoveries are being made – under the Southern Cross.

What makes ribbons of colour swirl in the sky? What are the spooky balls of light that bounce across the outback? What animal lays eggs that look like squishy ping-pong balls? Where can you watch a movie with bats circling overhead?

Discover the answers to these questions and more in this fantastic picture book tour of Australia after dark.

Companion to A is for Australia (2015) and A is for Australian Animals (2017).

Pages: 32
Ages: 5 – 8 years
On eBay: Paperback & Hardcover →

A is for Australia

by Frané Lessac

A fantastic tour of Australia from A to Z with award-wining author and illustrator Frane Lessac.

What is the Fremantle Doctor? Where is Qui Qui? And why are some islands named after days of the week? You’ll uncover these exciting facts when you explore the A to Z of Australia – from Bondi to Kakadu and all the way to Taronga Zoo. Discover why Australia is one of the most amazing countries in the world!

Pages: 48
Ages: 5 years +
On eBay: Hardcover →

A is for Australian Animals

by Frané Lessac

A fantastic tour of Australian animals, by award-winning author-illustrator Frané Lessac!

Australia is full of the most amazing animals on the planet! What animal has six thumbs? What animal produces square poo? What animal is made up of 95 per cent water and is highly venomous? Discover the answers to these questions and more in this fantastic tour of Australian animals.

• A celebration of Australian animals and places.
• Includes high interest facts and full colour illustrations of diverse animals throughout Australia. Includes species distribution maps.

Pages: 48
Ages: 7 years +
On eBay: Paperback & Hardcover →

Camping With Kids

by Simon McGrath

Seasoned camper Simon McGrath draws on a lifetime’s experience so your kids can enjoy every minute of their camping holiday. Start in your backyard and graduate to the wilderness. Go orienteering or hang out at a festival. Watch the sun rise or go on a night walk.

Climb a mountain or spot a constellation. And cook up a storm; even in a storm. Camping With Kids has more than 300 cool ideas; from games for the car trip to recipes and adventure activities; to help you and your family get the most out of any camping experience.

Pages: 248
Ages: All ages
On eBay: Paperback →

Jeff Brown’s Flat Stanley

by Josh Greenhut

G’day, Stanley! Flat Stanley and his brother Arthur have just won a trip to Australia! They fly down under on a private jet and go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. But when Arthur launches him into the air for a game of boomerang, Stanley is accidentally sent spinning off into the heart of the Australian outback!

Pages: 96
Ages: 6 years +
On eBay: Paperback >

Home to Mother

by Doris Pilkington Garimara

When Gracie, Daisy and Molly are taken from their mother and sent away to the Moore River Settlement, thousands of miles from their home country, they decide to escape. But when the only way home is along a rabbit-proof fence, and you re being chased by the police, escaping is just the start of your adventure.This younger reader’s version of Doris Pilkington’s amazing best-selling true story of courage and love will grab readers of all ages, and take them on a journey through a country as beautiful as it is harsh. A journey home.

Pages: 97
Ages: 9 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

Red Dog True Blue

by Louis de Bernieres

A charming story of a young boy and his dog adventuring through the outback. Prequel to the bestselling Red Dog.

When a family tragedy means Mick is sent to the outback to live with his Granpa, it looks as if he has a lonely life ahead of him. The cattle station is a tough place for a child, where nature is brutal and the men must work hard in the heat and dust. However, after a cyclone hits, things change for Mick. Exploring the flood waters, he finds a lost puppy covered in mud and half-drowned. Mick and his dog immediately become inseparable as they take on the adventures offered by their unusual home, and the business of growing up, together.

In this charming prequel to the much-loved Red Dog, Louis de Bernières tells the moving story of a young boy and his Granpa, and the charismatic and entertaining dog whom so many readers hold close to their hearts.

Pages: 144
Ages: 13 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

The Upside-down History of Down Under

by Alison Lloyd

Read the un-put-down-able history of Down Under – unexpected, heroic and sometimes tragic. But never ever boring.

The true story of Australia starts with a piece of land that went for a swim. About 200 million of years ago it floated away from Africa. Very, very, slowly. It was home to dinosaurs and giant animals, then the first Australians showed up and got comfortable. And for a long time this wild and wonderful land was a mystery to the rest of the world. Until the English decided to make it the biggest jail ever…

Funny, heroic and tragic – the story of our country from prehistory to federation.

Pages: 304
Ages: 9 years +
On eBay: Hardcover →

The ABC Book of Australian Poetry

by Libby Hathorn

‘I am the river, gently flowing, as I wind my way to the sea.’ (Mary Duroux)

Follow the river of poetry through country, town, the bush, the four seasons, night and day and explore the Australian landscape through the eyes of our best Australian poets.

In this beautiful collection of poems for children, award-winning author and poet, Libby Hathorn, has brought together favourites such as those by A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson, Dorothea Mackellar and C.J. Dennis, as well as more contemporary poems by Steven Herrick, Eva Johnson, Les A. Murray and others.

Exquisite illustrations by Cassandra Allan make this a collection to treasure.

Pages: 192
Ages: 10 – 14 years
On eBay: Hardcover →

The Camel Who Crossed Australia

by Jackie French

The story of the famous Burke and Wills expedition… as it has never been told before.

The humans called him ‘Bell Sing,’ but to the other camels he is known as ‘He Who Spits Further Than the Wind’.

Transported from the mountains and deserts of the ‘Northwest Frontier’ (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), Bell Sing accompanies explorers Burke and Wills as they try to cross Australia from south to north.

Bell Sing has never had a high opinion of humans – or horses. And this expedition is the worst managed caravan he’s even been in. Camel handler Dost Mahomet and soldier John King are also beginning to wonder if their leader is competent, or crazy.

Bell Sing can smell water over the sandhills on the horizon… and freedom too. Can the expedition succeed? And who – if anyone – will survive?

Pages: 256
Ages: 13 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

Wild Australia Colouring Book

by Katherine McKinnon

Featuring hand-drawn illustrations, this book contains 14 beautiful spreads to colour in. Suitable for kids and adults alike, each spread features 12 animals amongst native scenery waiting to be filled in, with a guide at the back for those who like to get the colours right!

Locations include: Bondi Beach, Simpson Desert, Daintree Rainforest, Antarctica, Cradle Mountain, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Kakadu, Sydney Harbour and Mt Kosciuszko.

Pages: 32
Ages: 5 years +
On eBay: Paperback →

Colour Your Australia

by Grace West

From Uluru to the Daintree, the Todd River Regatta to the Birdsville Races, the Sydney Opera House to the MCG, take a magical adventure through our favourite Australian sights and scenes. With beautifully detailed illustrations, travelling through these pages will relax and expand your mind. See our unique landscape from a whole new angle, full of wonder and joy, in Grace West’s Colour Your Australia.

Pages: 112
Ages: All ages
On eBay: Paperback >