The winners of the Environment Award for Children’s Literature 2019
The Wilderness Society has revealed the winners of this year’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature. This award is presented annually to fiction and nonfiction books that ‘foster a love of wild places and wildlife in young Australians’ and ‘encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural world’.
Here are the winners for all three categories…
Picture Fiction
The All New Must Have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley
Harvey owns a heap of stuff, but can always use more. The ORANGE 430 is the latest and the greatest. Harvey isn’t sure what it does, but he has to have it! Michael Speechley’s debut picture book explores consumerism and the environment with playfulness and good humour.
For ages 5 and up.
Fiction
Maxi the Lifeguard: The Stormy Protest by Trent Maxwell, David Lawrence and Peter Baldwin
When Maxi and his friends discover that someone has been dumping rubbish into the ocean near Bondi, they are furious. Who would do such a thing, and why won’t anyone take them seriously when they report it? This action-packed novel foregrounds friendship and an intriguing mystery, while exploring concerns about water pollution.
For ages 6 and up.
Nonfiction
Bouncing Back: An Eastern Barred Bandicoot Story by Rohan Cleave and Coral Tulloch
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is one of Australia’s most threatened species. When their existence came under extreme threat from habitat loss, predators and human development, Eastern Barred Bandicoots found refuge in the most unlikely of places - a rubbish tip. This gorgeous picture book uses this real life story to explore the lives of this valuable Australian marsupial, the threat of extinction, and also shows how successful conservation efforts can be.
For ages 6 and up.
