Gone are the days of taking your shoes off in supermarkets, eating soil and asking your kindergarten teacher why she has a moustache, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still tap into those #mems. We’ve dug up no less than twenty children’s books that’ll each unearth a unique set of nostalgia-induced memories you’ll have no doubt buried deep under a few too many nights on vodka lemonades in your late teens.
Here are 20 children’s books from your childhood that you’ve forgotten about,
Possum Magic
Mem Fox & Julie Viva
A best-selling first picture book from Mem Fox about Grandma Poss who uses bush magic to make baby Hush invisible.
Koala Lou
Mem Fox & Pamela Lofts
Another one from Mem Fox about a little koala who’s mama gets too busy to say her favourite words; ‘Koala Lou, I DO love you!’.
Wombat Stew
Marcia Vaughan & Pamela Lofts
This rather unusual recipe book follows a dingo who, after catching a wombat, receives some odd cooking tips from a gang of bush animals who are trying to protect him.
Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia
Alison Lester
One of Alison Lester’s many childhood classics, this one is about young Gracie who heads on a three-month trip around her Australia with her family.
My Farm
Alison Lester
My Farm is a cute little child’s eye view of a typical Aussie farm which ends with the main character being surprised with her very own palomino pony.
Magic Beach
Alison Lester
A little out of the box compared to her other children’s books, Magic Beach is the story of a family’s whimsical trip to the beach (as always, there are MANY horses).
Diary of a Wombat
Jackie French & Bruce Whatley
This is a cute little story about a day in the life of one of Australia’s most iconic animals - the wombat!
Edward The Emu
Sheena Knowles & Rod Clement
Edward the emu grows tired of life as an emu and tries out the lifestyles of other animals at the zoo before eventually deciding that being an emu was a bit of alright after all.
Edwina The Emu
Sheena Knowles & Rod Clement
In the sequel, Edward finds himself a love interest and together they lay ten eggs. They’re worried about how they’ll get by, but Edwina tells him to stay at the nest while she goes out looking for a job.
Grug
Tod Prior
One day the top of a Burrawang tree falls to the ground and becomes…Grug! This little series follows his day-to-day adventures.
Fox
Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks
An emotional discovery into darkness and hope set in the Australian outback that explores the themes of friendship, trust and loyalty.
Toby
Margaret Wild & Noela Young
A story about a young family and their old dog, Toby, who teaches the young reader about grief and loss through its beautifully illustrated pages.
Animalia
Graeme Base
An intricately illustrated alphabetical page-turner that challenges the reader to find the boy and specific objects on each page.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
A story most adults can relate to, this is one is about a very hungry caterpillar who eats his way through anything and everything to then transform into a beautiful caterpillar.
Where The Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak
A young boy called Max is sent to his room in his wolf suit, furious, when it transforms into a jungle.
The Gruffalo
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
A little mouse attempts to ward off predators by conjuring up a fictional monster that is half grizzly bear, half buffalo.
We’re Going On A Bear Hunt
Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury
You’ll no doubt have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day, but this little read is all about ‘going to catch a big one’, no matter how scared you are.
The Magic Pudding
Norman Lindsay
Published in 1918, there are very few people in Australia that haven’t read the story of a magical pudding that replenishes itself after each bite.
Guess How Much I Love You
Sam McBratney & Anita Jeram
As everyone knows, the only way to measure love is by the distance to the moon.
Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy
Lynley Dodd
This one has certainly been linked back to the growing obsession with canine cross-breeding, but it’s about a little black terrier and his band of doggy friends.
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Image credit: ABC