My Language Rights fosters cultural appreciation. Photos: Supplied.
“Books are a uniquely portable magic,” according to author Stephen King, but reading, especially for young children, can be a great way for them to relax and escape to a different world.
Well-crafted children’s books have an engaging, wonder factor. In addition to being educational, books should have relatable, distinctive and memorable characters, an engaging storyline that’s simply told, be age appropriate and include vivid illustrations.
Picture books help children develop essential listening and conversation skills, an understanding that words convey meaning, the ability to interpret pictures and an ever-growing vocabulary.
Here are three books that incorporate a child-centric perspective ensuring that the chosen words align with the developmental stage of the readers.
Promoting cultural pride, My Language Rights celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity, empowering children to cherish and protect their linguistic heritage. This is a powerful book, which emboldens children to value their cultural identity.
My Language Rights dives into the vibrant world of languages in our communities, showing how language is more than just words — it carries our stories, memories and culture.
Drawing on PEN International’s Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, this book champions every child’s right to their own language, highlighting the importance of recognising language rights as fundamental human rights.
With engaging stories and bright illustrations, My Language Rights inspires readers to appreciate multilingualism and how it enriches our shared experiences and knowledge. Aimed at children aged three to seven years, this is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of language and the need to protect it, and empowers children to cherish their linguistic heritage.
My Language Rights, by Judy Thompson, illustrated by Tete Garcia, Scribble, $24.99
Let Bindi Irwin inspire you to love, respect and protect our natural world through You are a Wildlife Warrior!
In her debut picture book You Are a Wildlife Warrior!, passionate wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin has a message for animal-loving kids: you can help protect the planet and all who call it home!
Written in a playful rhyming structure, the book encourages you to walk on the wild side and uncover your inner conservationists. From the first page, you step inside Australia Zoo to see what nature has to offer. There are rhinos, kangaroos, lemurs and crocodiles, of course.
We embark on an incredible journey featuring exclusive Irwin family photos and animal fun facts that take us through the habitats of animals, and detail the ways we can protect them. Observe how they live and grow. Get inspired to take part in nurturing your own environment and all that inhabit it.
From the daughter of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, comes an illustrated picture book urging readers to discover the wildlife warrior within!
“I’m thrilled to share my passion for wildlife and conservation with soon-to-be wildlife warriors of all ages,” Bindi says. “It’s so important to love animals and remember that we can all work together to protect their homes and habitats. This generation of children holds the key to a brighter future for our planet, and I hope my book inspires them to appreciate the environment and strive to keep our world a safe happy place for all creatures.”
You Are a Wildlife Warrior! Saving Animals And The Planet, by Bindi Irwin with Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, Penguin Random House, $19.99
Bluey: The Beach is a delightful, lift-the-flap board book for kids of all ages.
It’s been more than five years since the publication of the first Bluey book, The Beach in November 2019. It was the winner of the 2020 Australian Book Industry Awards Children’s Picture Book of the Year.
Bluey: The Beach, a delightful, lift-the-flap board book for kids of all ages, takes us for a fun day at the beach. What will you discover along the way? While Mum is off for a walk along the beach, Bluey discovers a beautiful shell. She runs to show Mum and has a series of encounters that both excite and test her in unexpected ways.
Bluey is a six-year-old blue heeler pup, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures that unfold in erratic and amusing ways. Everyone joins her world of fun and discovery, including her dad Bandit, mum Chilli and younger sister Bingo.
A phenomenal global success, Bluey is an award-winner, which first started as an animated preschool television series created by Australian director and animator Joe Brumm in 2018. The Bluey books followed, based on the popular TV series, and are tie-in merchandise, featuring characters and storylines from the show.
Aimed at three- to seven-year-olds, the picture books transport us to explore the world and turn everyday life into an amazing escapade. They celebrate the joys of family life, the power of imaginative play, life lessons learned and the importance of empathy and kindness.
With family-friendly and wholesome content, they appeal through gentle, funny, innocuous takes on depicting a childhood nurtured in a way that helps them to realise their life’s full potential!
Bluey: The Beach, Penguin Random House, $14.99
