The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Book of the Year Awards shortlists for 2021. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, editors and publishers!

Here are the shortlists for each category.

Older Readers (for ages 13-18 years)

• The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell
• The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon
• When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin
• Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore
• Where We Begin by Christie Nieman
• Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal by Anna Whateley

Younger Readers (for ages 8-12 years)

• Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon
• The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty (illustrated by Kelly Canby)
• Worse Things by Sally Murphy (illustrated by Sarah Davis)
• We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad
• Bindi by Kirli Saunders (illustrated by Dub Leffler)
• The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

Early Childhood (for ages 0-7 years)

• Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen
  
• Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green (illus. by Anna Zobel)
• No! Never! by Libby Hathorn & Lisa Hathorn-Jarman (illus. by Mel Pearce)
• Anemone is not the Enemy by Anna McGregor
• There’s No Such Thing by Heidi McKinnon
• We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

Picture Book of the Year (for ages 0-18 years)

• The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood
• Not Cute by Philip Bunting
• Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans
• Ellie’s Dragon by Bob Graham
  
• How to Make a Bird by Matt Ottley (text by Meg McKinlay)
  
• Your Birthday Was the Best! by Felicita Sala (text by Maggie Hutchings)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books (for ages 0-18 years)

• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly
• Azaria: A True History by Maree Coote
• Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman (illustrated by Liz Anelli)
• Strangers on Country by David Hartley & Kirsty Murray (illustrated by Dub Leffler)
• Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish by Gina M Newton (illustrated by Rachel Tribout)
  
• Matthew Flinders: Adventures on Leaky Ships by Carole Wilkinson (illustrated by Prue Pittock)

CBCA Award for New Illustrator (for ages 0-18 years)

• Ribbit Rabbit Robot by Sofya Karmazina
• No! Never! by Mel Pearce
• Seven Seas of Fleas by Dave Petzold
• Shirley Purdie: My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe by Shirley Purdie
• This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder
• Go Away, Worry Monster! by Robin Tatlow-Lord

The winners for each category will be announced on Friday 20 August 2021. Find out more about the CBCA Awards here.