A commonly used analogy posits that books should serve as both windows and mirrors. I want to see the children in my life recognising themselves in the characters on the page, while glimpsing other ways of being, seeing and knowing through reading.
'What to Do serves as a compassionate guide for children navigating unfamiliar situations and emotions. Bell's text interplays tenderly with Tapper's vignettes, spotlighting significant everyday moments and challenges; in one scene a child's hesitation before an escalator is accompanied by the gentle encouragement, A bigger step. The book imparts strategies without being didactic.'
The small but prolific Australian children's publishing industry produced many books of windows and mirrors this year, but my criteria for this list was simple: Which 2023 books by Australian creators were regularly requested by the children in my life?
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