Stage 1 Reading List

At first we can only see the insects tails. Some clues help us try to identify each insect as we learn more about each one. Now, can you guess the insect that each tail belongs to before they are revealed once the page is turned?
Children will be drawn into a process of discovery to ensure a fun and rewarding reading experience.

A Lion in Paris is widely regarded as the most accomplished book by multi-award-winning children’s author/illustrator Beatrice Alemagna. It tells the story of a lion who, bored by his rural life in the savanna, seeks excitement and opportunity in the City of Light. Upon arriving in Paris, the lion is disappointed to find that despite his size, people barely pay attention to him, not even when he lets out a ferocious roar on the busy underground Metro.
Revealing the sights and sounds of Paris from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower, this beautifully illustrated book successfully conveys the experience of being a stranger in a new city and the process of understanding one’s own identity.

A stunning new picture book from Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet! This New York Times bestselling duo has teamed up for the first time to bring you How to Read a Book, a poetic and beautiful journey about the experience of reading.
Find a tree – a black tupelo or dawn redwood will do – and plant yourself. (It’s okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)
With these words, an adventure begins. Kwame Alexander’s evocative poetry and Melissa Sweet’s lush artwork come together to take readers on a sensory journey between the pages of a book.

The Flying Optometrist travels in his little red aeroplane from his practice in the city to a remote outback town. Lots of people are waiting for him! Aunty can’t see well enough to carve her emu eggs and Bill the plumber has a splinter in his eye. Young Stephanie can’t wait for him to arrive as she has broken her glasses and can’t join in games of cricket and have fun with her friends — she can’t see the ball! Hurry up Flying Optometrist! Where is he? Is he lost?
The townsfolk wait with bated breath until finally the Flying Optometrist’s little red plane appears, having only just missed a bad storm. A big meal waits for him in the local hotel. Then he gets to work checking eyesight. The Flying Optometrist doesn’t have long, but he helps as many people as he can. He returns to the city, but Stephanie has to wait a little longer for an exciting package to come — her own new glasses!
This whimsically fun picture book features lively non-fiction sections about the ‘real’ flying optometrist and the history of aerial rural services in Australia, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The creator of the international bestselling ‘Animalia’ brings a stunning new picture book, with an exquisite cast of characters and a timeless, life-affirming theme. This book is an ingenious infusion of counting book, puzzle book, story book and art book, with typically detailed illustrations.

Little Ngiri is the smallest Warthog in Africa. Tired of being teased by his bigger brothers and sisters, he wishes things could be different. When Old Nyumbu the Wilderbeest gives Ngiri a set of magic drums, he is sure his wish is about to come true. But all the animals of the jungle are in for a BIG surprise as Ngiri’s wish is granted in a most unexpected way.

Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she’s a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her Great, Great Aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal–to fly–Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt’s dream come true. Her invention complete, Rosie attempts a test flight–but after a moment, the machine crashes to the ground.

Discouraged, Rosie deems the invention a failure, but Aunt Rose insists that on the contrary, it was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit. Reassured, Rosie returns to her engineering and inspires her classmates to join in the fun.

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

Some kids sculpt sand castles. Some make mud pies. Some construct great block towers. But none are better at building than Iggy Peck, who once erected a life-size replica of the Great Sphinx on his front lawn! It’s too bad that few people appreciate Iggy’s talent, certainly not his second-grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. It looks as if Iggy will have to trade in his T square for a box of crayons . . . until a fateful field trip proves just how useful a master builder can be.

Like her classmates, builder Iggy and inventor Rosie, scientist Ada, a character of color, has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. Not afraid of failure, she embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble!

A tender, funny, and exquisitely illustrated picture book celebrating all the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are. With heartwarming rhyming text all about knowing what makes you special, All the Ways to Be Smart is a wonderful introduction to conversations about self-esteem.

The (unauthorised) biography of you, and the story of all of us.
Charting from the Big Bang to birth, Philip Bunting takes us on a journey back to the start of time (in about the time it takes to eat your breakfast!).
A hilarious, and beautifully illustrated book, designed to raise more questions than it answers.

Herb loves to be scared by the wolves in storybooks–as long as his mom takes the book out of his room at night. When she forgets, Herb gets an unwanted visit from two wolves who want to eat him for dinner.

Smashing and splashing! Jumping and thumping! Fighting and biting!
Macca is looking after his nieces and nephew and they are nothing but TROUBLE! How will Uncle Macca tame this unruly trio?

One day, Mr. Keene called all the students and teachers together and said, “This is a fine, fine school From now on, let’s have school on Saturdays too.”And then there was more. School all weekend. School on the holidays. School in the SUMMER! What was next … SCHOOL AT NIGHT?

So it’s up to Tillie to show her well-intentioned principal, Mr. Keene, that even though his fine, fine school is a wonderful place, it’s not fine, fine to be there all the time. Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech and celebrated “New Yorker” cartoonist Harry Bliss team up in this charming and hilarious book about what happens when the love of learning goes a bit too far.

The kings battles with the dragon were always mighty and loud… CLING CLANG CLONG! ROAR!
Boy lived in a silent world and couldn’t hear the fighting. But Boy could see the fear around him… and how everyone would be much happier.

Becky has reached the point in her swimming lessons when she has stopped being a Frog and has moved up to be a Platypus. She has to go into the deep end, and she’s not at all sure that she’s ready for it. She wishes she could be a Frog for just a little while longer.

Stella and her little brother are spending the day at the sea. Stella has been to the sea before and knows all its secrets, but Sam has many questions. “Where do starfish come from? Does a catfish purr? Does a sea horse gallop?” Stella has an answer for them all. The only thing she isn’t sure of is whether Sam will ever come into the water. Evocative watercolors bring a diaphanous day at the beach alive in this perfect summer story. Gently humorous, the book also captures the relationship between an older sister and her baby brother ? a responsibility that can be both lots of fun and very trying.

‘Do you write all day? Where does a story start? Where do your ideas come from? Do you put a cat in every book? How did you learn to draw? Do you have a hamster? How many books do you make in one day? Are you Stella?’
Whenever Marie-Louise Gay speaks to children about her books, she finds that they have many amazing questions about writing, drawing, ideas and other surprising subjects. Her delightful answers can be found in this fictional encounter with some very curious children, who collaborate with her on writing and illustrating a wonderful and evocative story-within-a-story.

Rodney was a rabbit who loved nothing more than drawing. He never found it tiresome, tedious or boring. But then one day, disaster struck, the one thing Rodney feared, while working at his drawing desk his pen just… DISAPPEARED!
A truly hysterical search for a missing pen, by award-winning author Michael Gerard Bauer.

Set in New York, this gorgeous children’s picture book by Gus Gordon is a story about friendship, life in the big city, and following your dreams. Set in New York, this gorgeous picture book by Gus Gordon is a story about friendship, life in the big city, and following your dreams. This is a tale about a big city. It’s a tale of hotdogs and music and the summertime subway breeze. It’s a tale of singing on rooftops and toffees that stick to your teeth. But most of all, it’s the tale of Herman and Rosie.

The Frolleys have to move from their beloved house at 32 Sunshine Avenue to a place with dripping taps, stinky carpets and ants. But they have brought something with them that can turn any house into a home. The Dress-Up Box is a story about childhood, belonging and the power of imagination.

How many things can you make in a day? A tower, a friend, a change? Rhyme, repetition, and a few seemingly straightforward questions engage young readers in a discussion about the many things we make and the ways we can make a difference in the world.

Rosie the hen is going for a walk, but she’d better watch out – there’s a very sneaky fox hot on her tail feathers! Rosie’s Walk has become a beacon in the world of children’s picture books, an ever-popular classic which generations have enjoyed. Children love the humour of this near-wordless story.

As he sets out for the store, the boy’s mother reminds him, “Six farm eggs, a cake for tea, a pound of pears, and don’t forget the bacon.”

My mother shows me how to get bushtucker and she shows me how to paint.
Now I’m a famous artist.
My paintings are all over the world hanging in important places. Happy times.
Told in English and Gija, this is the story of Shirley Purdie, famous Gija artist, as told through her paintings, as part of the Ngaalim-Ngalimboorro Ngagenybe exhibition created for the 2018 National Portrait Gallery exhibition So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history.

Once there was a girl who was full of wonderment at how the world worked. She shared all her dreams and excitement with her father, who always had the answer to every question. That is until one day when his chair was empty, not to be filled again – how would the girl ever find meaning from her life again?

Izabelle Gizmo just loves to invent, but her inventions never seem to work the way she wants them to. And that makes her really CROSS! When she finds a crow with a broken wing she just has to help. But will she be able to put her frustrations to one side and help her new friend to fly again?

Just behind an ordinary house
filled with too little fun,
Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond.

Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

Finnian Jones lived in a house brimming with books. One morning, Finnian woke up eager to create a story of his own…
Follow Finnian’s journey as he takes his Gran’s advice and “digs deep” to find his own ideas. Along the way he discovers much more than he expected but will he ever be able to create a story of his own?

A book that introduces a big concept to little people. This original story helps explain world problems to children, and how we can all work together to solve them.

It tells the story of Winsome – a child full of curiosity, who asks questions on a daily basis. Once she begins school, her curiosity starts to fade until, one day, an observant teacher notices something…

When the fiercest dragon in the whole world smashes Princess Elizabeth’s castle, burns all her clothes, and captures her fiancé, Prince Ronald, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands. With her wits alone and nothing but a paper bag to wear, the princess challenges the dragon to show his strength in the hopes of saving the prince. But is it worth all that trouble?

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go.
To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp.

This Aesop’s fable is a favourite and familiar one: a mouse inadvertently disturbs a lion, who lets the mouse go … and is later himself freed by the mouse from a poacher’s trap. Jerry Pinkney’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous new wordless treatment is irresistible, its wealth of visual detail offering huge scope for the pages to be turned and the story retold over and over again.

Beatrix Potter loved the countryside and she spent much of her otherwise conventional Victorian childhood drawing and studying animals. Her passion for the natural world lay behind the creation of her famous series of little books. A particular source of inspiration was the English Lake District where she lived for the last thirty years of her life as a farmer and land conservationist.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published in 1902, was her first book, expanded from an illustrated letter she had sent to a young friend who was ill. One hundred years later the classic tale of naughty Peter Rabbit’s escape from Mr. McGregor’s garden still brings to children all over the world the pleasure that it gave to its very first reader.

Lucy’s mum takes her to the library every Saturday. Lucy loves to read, but there is one special book that she borrows over and over again. The book is shared between friends, dropped in the ocean, flown to China and even made into a banana sandwich. But what will happen when everyone’s favourite book goes missing?

A go-cart contest inspires imagination to take flight in this picture book for creators of all ages, with art from New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds.

Everyone is busy in Busytown – from train drivers to doctors, from mothers to sailors, in police stations and on fire engines. Follow lots of busy people working through their busy days!
Captain Salty and his crew are getting ready to go on a voyage; Doctor Lion is busy at the hospital; Sergeant Murphy is working hard to keep things safe and peaceful; and engineers are building new roads. Packed full of activity and funny details to discover, this celebration of Busytown and its inhabitants will keep curious minds occupied for hours on end! Perfect for ages 3 and up.

David’s teacher has her hands full. From running in the halls to chewing gum in class, David’s high-energy antics fill each schoolday with trouble — and are sure to bring a smile to even the best- behaved reader.

The classic story from the one and only Dr. Seuss, now with a brand new look! When Sam-I-am persists in pestering a grumpy grouch to eat a plate of green eggs and ham, perseverance wins the day, teaching us all that we cannot know what we like until we have tried it!

In this heartfelt picture book, readers are taken on a stunning journey into the imagination of a young boy-who explores everything from the pyramids of Egypt to a dusty footprint on the moon-and then back out again to the wonderful world right in front of him. From a lost balloon to an endless road, there are stories to discover, to dream about, and to share.

Imagine a place that makes you feel as free as a bird. Imagine a place where getting there is worth whatever it takes. Imagine a place that makes you feel like it’s always been your destination. Imagine a place made out of pure imagination.

Press here.
That’s right. Just press the yellow dot…and turn the page.
This irresistible picture book is ideal for sharing with children and has created a sensation worldwide

He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV.

What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.

The series is based upon the adventures of Zac Power, a twelve-year-old boy, and his fifteen-year-old brother, Leon. Zac is a secret agent for the fictitious intelligence agency GIB (Government Investigation Bureau), and Zac’s adventures frequently see him saving the world.

Grug began his life as the top of a Burrawang tree that looks more like a Grass tree. Resembling a small, striped haystack with a face, he is fascinated by the world around him and solves everyday problems creatively and without fuss. When dancing instructions are too difficult to understand, Grug invents his own dance and calls it “The Grug”.

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.