EK Books
Children's books with heart on issues that matter
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Due for Release in February 2027!
My Memory Map is a thoughtful picture book that encourages children to see their bodies as unique maps shaped by memories, experiences, and growth. With warmth and sensitivity, it promotes self-acceptance, body awareness, and emotional literacy for young readers.
SPECIFICATIONS: 32 Pages (PB 36 Pages) | 229mm x 216mm | 2027
Edward is anxious to start knight-school. He puts on his armour, prepared for battle. It’s sure to be terrifying with all those ogres and dragons about. But at school, Edward is befriended by an ogre who offers him some of her lunch. Edward soon realizes that maybe things aren’t as bad as they first seemed. In fact, his armour was holding him back. As he learns to let his guard down, magic and fun await and Edward realizes the dragons and ogres he feared are actually just like him.
Specifications: Hardback/Paperback | 245 x 255 mm / 9.5 x 10 inches | 32 Pages | Colour
Arabella is a beloved only child who has everything until her brother, Avery, arrives. While she loves him, it’s sometimes hard to like him. She spends her days creating marvellous things with her magic pencil, and ignoring him. But when he spoils her tea party, she decides drastic action is required and she erases him from her life. Oops! Can she get him back? Arabella and the Magic Pencil will appeal to any child with a new sibling and to caregivers who are supporting changing family dynamics.
[quote author=’ Debra Tidball, award-winning author of The Scared Book and When I See Grandma’]A magical story with luscious language, whimsical illustrations and strong emotional core that will surprise and delight young readers. [/quote]
SPECIFICATIONS: 9781925820010 | Hard Cover |245 x 255 mm /9.5 x 10 inches | 32 Pages | Colour | EK Books
Sam doesn’t like his new glasses. They make his ears hurt. His parents say he looks handsome in them. But Sam just wants to look like himself. His teacher doesn’t recognize him — she says he must be a new superhero. But Sam doesn’t want to be a superhero. He just wants to be himself. Eventually, with a bit of confidence and a lot of humour, Sam finds out that wearing glasses isn’t so bad — and people still like him just the way he is after all.
[quote author=’Good Vision for Life’]Children and teens with glasses face adjustment to wearing them. It can be hard to look after glasses and keep track of where they are. It can make children and teens feel different. They can be teased and identified as different. Kids may refuse to wear their glasses. It’s important that children feel included when they wear glasses and even a superhero. For more information: Good Vision for Life[/quote]
Congratulations to Susanne and Marjorie who have had The Boy In The Big Blue Glasses shortlisted for The Society of Women Writers NSW Inc book awards 2020!
SPECIFICATIONS: 9781925335996 / 9781925820560 | 215 x 288 mm / 8.5 x 11.25 inches | Hardback/Paperback | 32 Pages
Children love laughing about body noises. In Grandpa’s Noises, a range of sounds and words coming from body and mouth are explained in a warm and funny intergenerational romp. For example, ‘Eyenolessgofurawark’ is obviously Grandpa-speak for ‘I know, let’s go for a walk’. But some sounds — like the ‘Fffffffft’ that sometimes escapes Grandpa’s bottom — need no explanation!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback/ Paperback | 215 x 288 mm / 8.5 x 11.25 inches | Colour | 32 Pages
Olivia and her dog Barkley are inseparable. He’s her sidekick, her partner in crime-fighting — they’re the perfect pair. But then, Barkley dies and Olivia is heartbroken. Gradually, however, she realizes that Barkley wouldn’t want her to be unhappy for the rest of her life. So she comes up with a clever plan to get her happiness back.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover / Paperback| 245 x 255 mm / 9.5 x 10 inches | 32 pages
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.
EVENT: ASLA Members – Don’t miss Dimity Powell speaking at this year’s ASLA conference as part of the SCBWI Panel (more info)
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 245 x 255 mm / 9.5 x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages
Book lives at the library and desperately wants to go outside, but is intimidated by all the things that might happen ‘out there’. Meanwhile, Emma loves visiting the library and delights in the many adventures to be had in the stories she finds there. When Emma meets Book, they find they are just what each other needs. Children and parents alike will enjoy this story about being brave, taking risks, and living to tell the tale!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover/Paperback | 245 x 255mm / 9½ x 10in | Colour | 32 Pages
Grandma Forgets is the heart-warming story of a family bound by love as they cope with their grandma’s dementia. Over the years, the little girl has built up a treasure trove of memories of time spent with Grandma: sausages for Sunday lunch, driving in her sky-blue car to the beach, climbing her apple trees while she baked a delicious apple pie, and her comforting hugs during wild storms.
But now, Grandma can’t remember those memories. She makes up new rules for old games and often hides Dad’s keys. This is a warm, hopeful story about a family who sometimes needs to remind their grandmother a little more often than they used to about how much they care. She might not remember any of their names but she will always know how much she is loved.
Grandma Forgets is a Children’s Book Council of Australia Noteable, and is recommended by the Australian Association of Family Therapy Award for Children’s Literature.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 24 Pages |
Through the Gate tells the story of a child who has just moved house and is struggling to cope with all the changes in her life. She relates to the dilapidated house she has moved to, as she sits sad and forlorn upon its broken front step.
But, as the story unfolds, the house is gradually repaired paralleling how the child’s perception of her new situation improves. Each time the child passes ‘through the gate’, into the world beyond, she notices more of her surroundings and discovers that her new life has some wonderful things in it.
Within the illustrations is a ‘spot the difference’ game that encourages interaction with the story and develops observation skills. Younger children can be involved in spotting the more obvious changes and older children will be challenged with the more subtle transformations.
Through the Gate has been shortlisted for the 2018 Speech Pathology Awards, and is recommended by the Australian Association of Family Therapy Award for Children’s Literature. Congrats Sally!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover/Paperback | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
We are Charlie, Ruby, Oliver, Mason and Kaia — and we’re ready to take you on a journey through twelve months in the life of New Zealand’s kids. Enjoy festivals and events, games and sports, flora and fauna, quirky traditions and the famous sites of our country. Come join us on a New Zealand childhood adventure!
The Kid’s Year Series are the ideal choice for supporting the ACARA Intercultural Understanding, which you can learn about here.
SPECIFICATIONS: Paperback | 245 x 255 mm | 150+ Colour Illustrations | 32 Pages
Ollie’s Treasure is tale of mindfulness for young, developing minds. Ollie’s grandma sends him a treasure map that promises to lead him to ‘something that will make him happy always’.
Of course, Ollie thinks this ‘something’ will be a toy of some sort, but he gets both a rude shock and a big surprise when his treasure turns out to be him!
Shortlisted for Speech Pathology of Australia Awards 2018! Congratulations Lynn and Kirrli!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover/Paperback | 215 x 288 mm | Colour | 32 Pages |
This concept book for kids is all about unleashing creativity, thinking outside the square and opening the mind to possibility! Part picture book, part artistic inspiration, What Could It Be? is an interactive adventure for pre-primary and primary school-aged children organised into paired double-page spreads.
The first spread in each pair introduces a basic geometric shape (square, circle, triangle, etc.) and then opens the door for creative thinking by posing the question, ‘What else could it be?’ The following spread provides the answer, with the focus shape transformed into many objects in a glorious artwork. These pages provide a further interactive element as kids are encouraged to find specific objects and count the ‘hidden’ shapes.
The reader is guided through the pages by the character of a young boy, who allows many aspects of his world to be ‘discovered’ via the detailed illustrations. The last page challenges kids to create their own illustrations inspired by a geometric shape.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 215 x 288 mm / 8½ x 11¼ inches | 35 Colour Illustrations | 32 Pages
Happy or sad, wailing or glad how do you feel today?
A fun, flip-over picture book for children that reads from both front and back. Smile Cry is an innovative picture book for young kids, showcasing the full emotional range of their formative years. Readers’ follow three adorable characters — piglet, bunny and cat — as they react emotionally to a variety of events and circumstances from everyday life.
The clever ‘flip book’ format means that the ‘Smile’ story reads from front to back, while the ‘Cry’ story reads from back to front, with both delicious narratives meeting in the middle. A heartfelt picture book that will be treasured for years, Smile Cry is perfect for ages 3 and upwards.
Winner of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Book of the Year Award 2017 (Australia and New Zealand), Selected for the 2017 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notables List! Congratulations Tania and Jess!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover/Paperback | 215 x 288 mm / 8½ x 11¼ Inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
Tottie and Dot are two little girls who live side by side. Life is very peaceful until one day the girls begin competing with each other to create the best house. As the story unfolds, jealousy takes hold and their competitive spirit gets increasingly out of control until ultimately, things collapse in a disastrous heap.
Will Tottie and Dot realise the importance of their friendship before it’s too late? Each girl’s house is shown over a series of exquisitely illustrated double-page spreads — Tottie on the left and Dot on the right. The detailed illustrations perfectly complement the simple story line and will provide children aged 4–7 with hours of entertainment, as well as a valuable life lesson!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
Pippa, Pia, Poppy, Polly and Peg are quintuplets. Since birth, they’ve done everything the same — cry, eat, sleep, sit. But as they get a little older, things start to change. Now they want to do things differently — very differently. Can Mum and Dad keep their little girls as matching peas in a pod, or will those five very individual personalities win out in the end? Gorgeous illustrations perfectly complement this simple yet highly entertaining storyline. Sure to be enjoyed by kids and their parents!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm /9½ x 10 Inches | 32 Pages |
Amelia, Tandi and George — English children representing a multicultural blend of culture and race that typifies our beautiful country. They will take you through a year in the life of English kids, from celebrations to traditions to events, to our everyday way of life and the little things that make childhood so memorable. They are our English childhood.
An English Year is a picture book bursting with national pride. It is a snapshot of who we are as a nation, blending our modern-day culture and lifestyle with past traditions and strong heritage. Its pages feature meandering text, dates and gorgeous illustrations showcasing our five English children at play, at school, at home, and enjoying the sights and sites of England — from the northern moors and breathtaking Lake District, to our pebbly seasides, bustling cities and historical country towns.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages
Sometimes Sophie worries — not during the day when she is busy with family and friends, but at night when everything is calm and quiet. Her family all try to help, but somehow they just make her worries worse. Until her mother thinks of a new approach … that might just involve an elephant or two!
But wait, don’t think about purple elephants, whatever you do! Whimsical and humorous, this little girl’s story of finding a way to ease her worry resonates with children and parents everywhere. Don’t Think About Purple Elephants is an excellent resource for social and emotional learning for parents and teachers.
SPECIFICATIONS: 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
An Aussie Year is a picture book bursting with national pride. It is a snapshot of who we are as a nation, and covers our modern day culture, lifestyle and traditions. Its pages feature trailing, meandering text, dates and gorgeous illustrations showing our five Aussie children at play, at school, at home, and enjoying their parts of Australia .
Meet Ned, Lily, Zoe, Kirra and Matilda — Australian children representing a multicultural blend of culture and race that typifies our beautiful country. They are taking you through a year in the life of Australian kids, from celebrations to traditions to events, to our everyday way of life. They are Australia. Charming, whimsical and inclusive. The characters and illustrations cover the complete Australian ‘experience’. Perfect for children aged 4 to 12, with a literacy level for self-reading of 8 to 9.
SPECIFICATIONS: Paperback | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages
Meet Madison, Alexander, Fabian, Sophia, and Jayla — New York kids representing a blend of culture and race that typifies this impressive state. They’ll take you through a year in the life of New York’s kids, from celebrations, traditions and events, to the everyday way of life and the little things that make childhood so memorable.
A New York Year is a picture book showcasing the cultural diversity of the state. It’s a snapshot of New Yorkers, blending modern-day culture and lifestyle with the traditions of yesteryear. Its pages feature meandering text, dates and gorgeous illustrations showcasing five New Yorker children at play, at school, at home, and enjoying the sights and sites of New York.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages