EK Books
Children's books with heart on issues that matter
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Finn, a young boy, is lonely. Puss, a cat, is lost. Then Finn and Puss meet. Suddenly Finn isn’t lonely anymore, and Puss seems happy to be with Finn too. So when Finn sees a ‘Lost’ poster, he’s faced with a tough decision. This simple story explores how sometimes we need to make hard choices but that ‘doing the right thing’ has its own rewards.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 245 x 255 mm | Colour | 32 Pages |
Reena is deaf and Dog is homeless, but they are also so much more than that. At first Reena and Dog feel like they don’t belong, but when they form a unique bond with each other, and become friends with the hearing children in the park, they discover that everyone is different and special in their own way.
Reena’s Rainbow is about friendship, diversity and acceptance. It sends the message that true friends will always accept your differences and love you just the way you are.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 245 x 255 mm / 9 ½ x 10 Inches | 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 |
It’s handy having a dad who can fix just about anything. A young girl believes her father is the king of fixing things. But following the death of her mother, she discovers that broken hearts are not as easy to repair as damaged toys and cracked teapots.
Together, she and her father find a way to glue back the pieces of her lives. The Fix-It Man is a poignant picture book that explores how a child can cope with the loss of a parent (in this case, the young girl’s mother). Repairing damaged emotions is not as straightforward as gluing a broken kite back together or sewing up a torn toy.
And grief affects all members of a family, with each responding in their own way to the loss. By sticking with her father, the young girl is able to strengthen her resilience and ability to cope with one of life’s harshest experiences.
The author was encouraged to seek publication for this story after receiving the endorsement of several grief counsellors who work with children and who recognised the need for a book such as this.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | 32 Pages |
We all know that dogs will eat anything. We also know that kids’ tastes generally aren’t so wide-ranging. While ice cream and pizza might be devoured in the blink of an eye, the dreaded ‘green stuff’ (vegetables to the adults) is often pushed to one side of the plate.
Author Pete Carter understands this phenomenon well, as he shows in the adventures of Benji. In delightful duotone illustrations and engaging text, we see how Benji’s willingness to eat anything — from daffodils to brussels sprouts, ice cream to avocados, sandwiches to bones — gradually inspires his child owner to be a little more adventurous at mealtimes. Although dogs and kids do have standards and it seems there’s one thing neither of them will touch!
The perfect book to encourage fussy eaters to try a few more vegetables! Illustrator James Henderson is Pete Carter’s nephew, making this picture book a family affair.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 217 x 160 mm / 8½ x 6½ Inches | 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 |
Twelve Months in the Life of Scotland’s Kids
Meet Isla, Sophie, Dominik, James and Rashida — Scottish 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 Scottish kids, from celebrations to traditions to events, to our everyday way of life and the little things that make childhood so memorable.
A Scottish 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 Scottish children at play, at school, at home, and enjoying the sights and sites of Scotland — from our heather-strewn Highlands to our historical cities, pristine outer islands and charming rural towns.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages
Sarah’s mother is tired of finding odd socks in the laundry basket. Where do all the missing socks go? Sarah’s mother is pretty sure the puppy is responsible but Sarah knows better. And her mother simply mustn’t find out the truth! The Great Sock Secret is a wonderfully fun adventure into an imaginative world that’s home to some very cool fairies. You’ll never look at your socks in the same way again!
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm /9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
A ballerina in a music box loves nothing more than to dance. Her days are filled with joy as she dances for her little girl owner, and also pops out of her box for some extra fun and excitement when the little girl isn’t looking! But when her owner grows up and isn’t a little girl anymore, who will dance with the ballerina then? Dance with Me is a gorgeous story about treasured possessions and the memories they hold.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm / 9½ x 10 Inches | Colour | 32 Pages |
Patch the pony is lonely. He has fun with his young owner, Sam, and the other farm animals are friendly, but sometimes it feels as if he still doesn’t quite fit in. Then one day Sam has an idea and something happens that changes Patch’s life forever. Patch and Ruby is a wonderful, often very funny tale about friendship and finding out where you belong.
SPECIFICATIONS: Hardcover | 245 x 255 mm /9½ x 10 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