21 Aug 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Award winners
For 80 years, the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Awards have helped parents, teachers and librarians discover some of the best Australian books for children and young adults.
The familiar CBCA award stickers have become a trusted sight on library and bookshop shelves, highlighting outstanding work by Australian authors and illustrators.
This year’s winners range from picture books for the youngest readers through to novels for teenagers, along with the Eve Pownall Award for factual books and the Award for New Illustrator.
Children and young people also had their say through the CBCA Shadow Judging program, with 332 groups choosing their own favourites from the shortlisted titles.
Here are the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year winners, honours and Shadow Judging winners.
Book of the Year: Older Readers
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling. Ages 13–18 years.
| WINNER | |||
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| Darkest Night, Brightest Star | Barry Jonsberg | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781761180385 |
| HONOUR | |||
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| Golden | Jade Timms | Text Publishing | 9781923058354 |
| Unhallowed Halls | Lili Wilkinson | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781760631673 |
| SHADOW JUDGING WINNER | |||
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| This Stays Between Us | Margot McGovern | Penguin Random House Australia | 9781761346286 |
Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. Ages 7–12 years.
| WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Inked | Karen Wasson | Jake A Minton | Figment Books | 9781761212475 |
| HONOUR | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Little Bones | Sandy Bigna | University of Queensland Press | 9780702268878 | |
| Run | Sarah Armstrong | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | 9781761214561 | |
| SHADOW JUDGING WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Run | Sarah Armstrong | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | 9781761214561 | |
Book of the Year: Early Childhood
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0–6 years.
| WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| The Emperor’s Egg | Rae Tan | Rae Tan | Lothian Children’s Books | 9780734422514 |
| HONOUR | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Derek | Anne Donaldson | Matt Shanks | Little Hare | 9781761215537 |
| The Thing About Christmas | Jo Dabrowski | Briony Stewart | Little Book Press | 9781923141407 |
| SHADOW JUDGING WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Derek | Anne Donaldson | Matt Shanks | Little Hare | 9781761215537 |
Picture Book of the Year
Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. Ages 0–18 years.
| WINNER | ||||
| Title | Illustrator | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| Once I was a Giant | Zeno Sworder | Zeno Sworder | Thames and Hudson Australia | 9781760764913 |
| HONOUR | ||||
| Title | Illustrator | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| Bob and Dob | Sean E Avery | Sean E Avery | Walker Books Australia | 9781760658113 |
| Tiwi in Paris | Glen Farmer Illortaminni | Glen Farmer Illortaminni | Thames and Hudson Australia | 9781760764944 |
| SHADOW JUDGING WINNER | ||||
| Title | Illustrator | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
| Dear Broccoli | Cate James | Jo Dabrowski | Affirm Press | 9781923022102 |
Eve Pownall Award
Entries in this category should be books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. Ages 0–18 years.
| WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Peculiar Parents | Stephanie Owen Reeder | Ingrid Bartkowiak | NLA Publishing | 9781922507822 |
| HONOUR | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles | Corey Tutt | Ben Williams | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781761181030 |
| A Loo of One’s Own | Eleri Harris | Eleri Harris | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781761181832 |
| SHADOW JUDGING WINNER | ||||
| Title | Author | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| The Thylacine and the Time Machine | Renée Treml | Renée Treml | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781761181184 |
Award for New Illustrator
This Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children’s book illustration.
Ages 0–18 years.
| WINNER | |||
| Title | Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| A Loo of One’s Own | Eleri Harris | A&U Books for Children and Young Adults | 9781761181832 |
See also 2026 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
