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2015 book of the year

2015 Book of the year awards Best Books for Language and Literacy Development

The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards raise awareness of the role speech pathologists play in assisting people of all ages to develop their language and literacy skills. The winners

birth to 3 years Snail and Turtle Are Friends By Stephen Michael King Snail and Turtle are Friends is a charming and funny story about friendship. It is an endearing story with an we all have our differences, we can still be friends. It is an engaging and age appropriate story, with a simple narrative and good story structure. The language used throughout is appropriate for the age group, with a variety of nouns, verbs and adjectives to stimulate oral language development. The story draws on familiar concepts while stimulating new ideas, concepts and imagination. The text and illustrations are cleverly interwoven, helping to develop the characters and the story’s positive message. The illustrations invite interaction with the book and inspire a sense of humour. It is a story that will be enjoyed over and over again, allowing everyone to find something new to appreciate and talk about each time. important message – although

Three to 5 years Teddy Took the Train By Nicki Greenberg

five to 8 years

eight to 10 years indigenous children

Big Pet Day is a witty story about shy and quiet Lily, and her unusual pet – a dragon. As a result the story is thought- Big Pet Day Written by Lisa Shanahan and Illustrated by Gus Gordon rules, and the line between imagination and fibbing. It creates an exciting, school-based circumstance that can be talked about with children long after the story is finished. The language is descriptive, developmentally appropriate, and uses humour well. Colourful, attractive and appealing illustrations reinforce a fun tale and enhance a child’s engagement with the story. The clear layout of the book adds to the attractiveness of the overall story. provoking and explores ideas about one’s preferences,

Plenty – A Place to Call Home By Amanda Braxton-Smith

Silly Birds By Gregg Dreise

Silly Birds is a colourful picture book about the ‘Dreamtime’. It is a colourful picture book that appeals

Teddy Took the Train is a gorgeous rhyming text that tells a wholly satisfying lost and found story. The story has a good

Plenty – A Place To Call Home is the story of Maddy Frank and her move from the city to a place

in the country called ‘Plenty’. The descriptive language of this story is second

to early readers with its vivid imagery that seems

narrative and structure, with a clear start, middle and end. It shows simple problem

to none, and the theme of ‘moving’ is

to jump off the page. The text is playful and accessible, and written in a bold and simple style to which children automatically relate. It teaches the simple lessons of listening to one's elders and caring for others, and deals with the important topics of Indigenous culture, land and family. Silly Birds is a great resource for parents, teachers and the young readers they support. The story allows for the development of oral narrative and higher-level thinking, through its problem-resolution structure. Valuable lessons are told in a clear manner, allowing for further discussion and learning once the reading is finished.

solving and has a wonderful use of rhyme. The story’s rhyme is of a high quality, with repeating phrases resembling the clickety- clack of a railway track – a central focus of the story. The illustrations match the story and its emotions, and provide extra talk points with young children. The story also introduces simple concepts of distance, time and living in a city. Children will easily relate to the little girl and the loss of her teddy bear.

something many children will easily be able to relate to. The language clearly evokes visual images with its use of metaphors. The book’s characters are easy to get to know and children of 8–10 years can identify with their experiences. The level of description and expression of emotion is very well written and age appropriate. The story’s underlining concept of belonging and resilience is very pertinent and important to the book’s reading audience. The book’s length is appropriate for a range of levels of readers within the 8–10 years age grouping.

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Speak Out October 2015

Speech Pathology Australia