Australian and New Zealand Division
Subcategory of Crystal Kite Award
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Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2023

winner y separately published work icon Bev and Kev Katrina Germein , Mandy Foot (illustrator), Kent Town : Little Book Press , 2021 24718518 2021 single work picture book children's 'Bev is tall and Kev is small. An unlikely pair! Could this be the beginning of a very big friendship? A heart-warming tale about learning to love yourself and the value of a true friend.' 

 (Publication summary)

Year: 2022

winner y separately published work icon Heroes of the Secret Underground Susanne Gervay , Sydney : HarperCollins Australia , 2021 21266120 2021 single work children's fiction historical fiction children's

'A timely and powerful time-slip story inspired by the author's family in Budapest during the Holocaust

'Louie lives with her brothers, Bert and Teddy, in a hotel run by their grandparents. It is one of Sydney's grand old buildings, rich in history ... and in secrets.

'When a rose-gold locket, once thought lost, is uncovered, it sends Louie and her brothers spinning back in time. Back to a world at war: Budapest in the winter of 1944, where their grandparents are hiding secrets of their own ...

'From bestselling author Susanne Gervay comes a heart-racing timeslip story inspired by her own family's escape from Budapest during the Holocaust.'

Source : publisher's blurb

Year: 2021

winner y separately published work icon How to Make a Bird Megan McKinlay , Matt Ottley (illustrator), Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2020 19897910 2020 single work picture book

'Extraordinary imagery and rich language spark the reader's imagination as they enter the creative world of a young girl.

'From award-winning author Meg McKinlay and celebrated artist Matt Ottley comes a moving and visually stunning picture book that celebrates the transformative power of the creative process from inception through recognition to celebration and releasing into the world. We shadow the protagonist as she contemplates the blue print of an idea, collects the things that inspire from the natural world to shape a bird. And breathes life into it before letting it fly free. It shows how small things, combined with a little imagination and a steady heart, can transform into works of magic.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

Year: 2020

winner y separately published work icon Catch a Falling Star Megan McKinlay , Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2019 14798193 2019 single work children's fiction children's

'It’s 1979 and the sky is falling. Skylab, that is. Somewhere high above Frankie Avery, one of the world’s first space stations is tumbling to Earth. And rushing back with it are old memories. Things twelve-year-old Frankie thought she’d forgotten. Things her mum won’t talk about, and which her little brother Newt never knew. Only ... did he? Does he? Because as Skylab circles closer, Newt starts acting strangely. And while the world watches the sky, Frankie keeps her own eyes on Newt. Because if anyone’s going to keep him safe, it’s her. It always has been. But maybe this is something bigger than splinters and spiders and sleepwalking. Maybe a space station isn’t the only thing heading straight for calamity.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Year: 2019

winner y separately published work icon At the End of Holyrood Lane Dimity Powell , Nicky Johnston (illustrator), Wollombi : EK Books , 2018 14330976 2018 single work picture book children's

'Flick is just like any other youngster. She loves to chase butterflies and jump in autumn leaves. But life at the end of Holyrood Lane is often violent and unpredictable due to the constant storms that plague her home, causing her to cringe with dread and flee whenever they strike. Visually arresting, emotionally incisive, and ultimately uplifting, this beautifully crafted picture book provides a sensitive glimpse into one aspect of domestic violence and how it can affect young lives.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

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