Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize

A huge congratulations to Helen Milroy, author of Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories, for being among the six books shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize worth $3,000.

Now in its seventh year, this prize continues to recognise exciting new and unique voices of Australian children’s literature. In its media release, Readings said this year’s shortlist reflected the rich array of children’s publishing in Australia: ‘there is a book for every child here’.

Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories is a collection of Indigenous tales full of wonder and delight that follows the adventures of different animals and other characters from the natural world. In their comments, the judges said, ‘Each of these bite-sized stories is imbued with a timeless quality, and feels as big as a continent. These are adventures that encourage optimism, and celebrate imagination, loyalty, courage and cooperation. Milroy’s characters all have something unique and important to contribute. Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories makes for an absolutely fantastic read-aloud, sprinkled throughout with illustrations from Milroy herself. This is an enriching book we can all see ourselves recommending for years to come.’

Other books in the shortlist are: Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renée Treml, The Girl, the Cat and the Navigator by Matilda Woods and Anuska Allepuz, and The Secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt and Katherine Quinn. The winner will be announced in late April and will receive $3,000 in prize money. Good luck to everyone shortlisted!

Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories by Helen Milroy is available on the Fremantle Press website and at all good bookstores.

For more information about the books on the shortlist and the full judges’ report, go to the Readings blog.