Reading at home
Sharing books with your child is special and helps your child learn. You are close together, looking at the same thing. Talk about the pictures. Tell the story. Your child will hear many new words and phrases. You can ask each other questions. What is happening in the story? Do you like this book? You can talk about your experiences and compare them to what happens in the story.
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Title: Can you dance? |
Get your child up and moving like different Australian animals. Talk about the ways animals move. Ask your child to show you what it looks like when they feel ‘cheeky’, ‘scary’, ‘silly’, ‘happy’, ‘hungry’ and ‘grumpy’. |
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Title: Baby Bilby's question |
‘How long will you love me?’ asks Baby Bilby. His dad has a fun way to tell Baby Bilby that he will love him for a very, very long time. Talk together about family and love. Think of a fun way to tell your child how you love them. |
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Title: Dingo in the dark |
Dingo is afraid of the dark. Is your child afraid of anything? It can make you feel better to talk about your fears. Talk with your child about what makes them scared. Ask them what makes them feel better when they are afraid. You can also talk with them about animals that are nocturnal. |
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Title: Spinifex mouse |
A spinifex hopping mouse called Cheeky likes to sneak out after his family has gone to sleep to practise his tricks. You can talk with your child about taking risks, being safe and listening to grown-ups. |
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Title: Go home, cheeky animals! |
Cheeky animals invade the camp. What animals do you have at your place? Talk to your child about animals that are helpful to have around and animals that are not. |
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Title: The two-hearted numbat |
Numbat has two hearts: one heart makes him helpful and the other heart makes him strong. Talk to your child about helping other people and looking after yourself. |
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Title: I love me |
What do you love about the way you look and the way your body can move? Name parts of the body with your child and talk about how you can move. |
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Title: Budburra’s garden Authors: Cherbourg State School and Cherbourg Artist Group Publisher: Budburra Books Inc. |
It is fun to eat healthy foods. Talk with your child about what healthy and colourful food you like to eat at home. See how many you can name. |
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Title: No way Yirrikipayi! Authors: Alison Lester and children from Milikapiti School, Melville Island Publisher: Indigenous Literacy Foundation |
Yirrikipayi is hungry, but the other animals do not want to be eaten. While you are reading let your child chant: ‘No way Yirrikipayi! You’re not eating me today!’ |
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Title: Shirley Purdie: My story, ngaginybe jarragbe Author: Shirley Purdie Publisher: Kimberly Art Centre Series |
Shirley Purdie’s story is written in English and Gija. Can you and your child say words in different languages? |
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Title: Main abija, my grandad Author: Karen Rogers Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children |
This story is about Grandad and the things about Country and culture that he taught. This story is written in English and Kriol. What do you like doing with your child? What things do you teach them? |
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Title: Baby business Author: Jasmine Seymour Publisher: Magabala Books |
This is a story about welcoming a baby to Country with a Darug smoking ceremony. It is written in English with some Darug language words. Do you know other ways to say these parts of the body? Share some words in a home language with your child. |
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Title: Same, but little bit diff'rent Author: Kylie Dunstan Publisher: Windy Hollow Books |
When you read this story with your child you can talk about the parts of your lives that are the same or different to the lives of the two children in the book. |
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Title: Tell 'em! Authors: Katrina Germein, Rosemary Sullivan and the children from Manyallaluk School Illustrator: Karen Briggs Publisher: Working Title Press Au |
Children from Manyallaluk School talk about their lives. Talk to your child about the things you like to do together. You could talk about the things you used to do when you were younger. |
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Title: Welcome to country Author: Aunty Joy Murphy Illustrator: Lisa Kennedy Publisher: Walker Books Australia |
Aunty Joy Murphy talks about Welcome to Country ceremonies from the perspective of the Wurundjeri People. Talk with your child about Welcome to Country ceremonies in your area. What customs are shared? |
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Title: Ernie dances to the didgeridoo Author: Alison Lester Publisher: Lothian Children’s Books |
Ernie has moved to the Northern Territory and writes letters to his friends about his experiences. Talk to your child about people you know who live in other places. Do you talk to them on the phone, send text messages or email to stay in touch? |
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Title: Big rain coming Author: Katrina Germein Illustrator: Bronwyn Bancroft Publisher: Penguin Australia Pty Ltd |
Old Stephen and the children try to stay cool as they wait every day for rain. Talk to your child about the days of the week and what it feels like to be waiting for something. |
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Title: My mob going to the beach Author: Sylvia Emmerton Illustrator: Jaquanna Elliott Publisher: Black Ink Press |
Everyone is walking to the beach. It is a long way and the children want to play. Talk to your child about where you live. Where do you like to go for walks? Where do you play? |
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Title: Going to the footy Author: Debbie Coombes Publisher: Magabala Books |
Everyone is going to the footy. How do you travel to places? Talk about the different ways people travel. |
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Title: The rabbit-hole golf course Author: Ella Mulvey Illustrator: Karen Briggs Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children |
The children go to the golf course to try to find some rabbits. Do you have animals at your place? Talk to your child about the animals that are good to have and why some animals are a problem. |
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Title: On the way to Nana's Authors: Frances Haji-Ali and David Haji-Ali Illustrator: David Hardy Publisher: Magabala Books |
A family sees lots of things along their drive from Perth to Darwin to visit Nana. Count the things they see with your child. Have you and your child been on a road trip? Talk about where you went and what you saw. |
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Title: Too many cheeky dogs Author: Johanna Bell Illustrator: Dion Beasley Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children |
The cheeky dogs do lots of naughty things. You and your child can count the cheeky dogs and name the days of the week. |
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Title: Tom Tom Author: Rosemary Sullivan Illustrator: Dee Huxley Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers |
Tom Tom has a big family and likes to do lots of things. Talk with your child about the things they like to do. Talk about the things you used to do when you were younger. |
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Title: Look see, look at me! Author: Leonie Norrington Illustrator: Dee Huxley Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children |
Now that he is three, this little person can do lots of things. Talk with your child about the things they can do now that they are getting bigger. |