The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Shortlisted Books for 2024. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers!
The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature. The CBCA Awards were first presented in 1946 and are the longest-running book awards in Australia. Discover the shortlists for each category below, or find out more here.
Older Readers
A Wreck of Seabirds by Karleah Olson
Birdy by Sharon Kernot
Comes the Night by Isobelle Carmody
I’m Not Really Here by Gary Lonesborough
Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough
The Skin I’m In by Steph Tisdell
Younger Readers
Aggie Flea Steals the Show by Tania Ingram, illustrated by A. Yi
Fluff: Mess Up! by Matt Stanton
Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks
Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina
Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French
To and Fro by Anton Clifford-Motopi
Early Childhood
Don’t Worry, Felix by Yohann Devezy & Katharine Alice, illustrated by Zoe Bennett
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t) by Briony Stewart
How to Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Owen Swan
One Little Dung Beetle by Rhian Williams, illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson
Spiro by Anna McGregor
The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum, illustrated by Craig Smith
Picture Book of the Year
Afloat by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood
A Leaf Called Greaf by Kelly Canby
These Long-Loved Things by Josh Pyke, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh
The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell
We Live in a Bus by Dave Petzold
Eve Pownall Award
Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson
Design & Building on Country by Alison Page & Paul Memmott, illustrated by Blak Douglas
Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney
I am a Magpie, I am a Currawong by Bridget Farmer
Making the Shrine: Stories From Victoria’s War Memorial by Laura J Carroll
South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin
New Illustrator
A Teaspoon of Light, Nisaluk Chantanakom
Digger Digs Down, Huni Melissa Bolliger
Grow Big, Little Seed, Sarah Capon
Peek-a-Boo Lottie, Kristen Willis
Raymaŋgirrbuy dhäwu, When I was a little girl, Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr
The Land Recalls You, David Cragg & Noni Cragg
