30 Jul The best new Australian nature books for children in 2026.
From koalas and crocodiles to rivers, coastlines and curious wombat poo, the Wilderness Society’s 2026 children’s book shortlist offers families plenty of inspiring ways to explore nature, Country and culture through reading.
As many children spend less time outdoors, books can provide an important doorway into the natural world—helping young readers discover wildlife, landscapes and the connections between people and place.
The Wilderness Society has announced the 2026 shortlists for its Environment Award and Karajia Award for Children’s Literature, celebrating Australian books that encourage curiosity, care and a lifelong connection with nature.
The Environment Award shortlist includes books that approach the natural world through science, humour, adventure and storytelling.
Among this year’s titles are
Find Me on the Coast by Jess McGeachin,
Creature Corridors by Billie Rooney and Anke Noack, and
One Koala, One Hundred Trees by Leesa Allinson, Heather Potter and Mark Jackson.
Young readers can also explore conservation through Save the Gumtrees by Luke John Matthew Arnold, travel beneath the waves in Ningaloo by Tim Winton and Cindy Lane, or discover some wonderfully unusual animal science in Wombat Poos Are Square by Sophie Gillies and Karen Erasmus.
The Karajia Award celebrates First Nations stories that share knowledge of Country, language, culture and community.
Shortlisted books include
A Good Kind of Trouble by Brooke Blurton and Melanie Saward,
Prayer for a River by Uncle Glenn Loughrey and Andrew Kelly, and
How Big is Love? by Carl Merrison.
Animals on Country by Victor and Sandra Steffensen and Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso, Michelle Scott Tucker and Lyn White have been shortlisted across both award categories.
Nature Book Week Ambassador Jen Martin said stories can help children understand the landscapes, wildlife and living systems around them.
“At a time when children are spending more time indoors and less time immersed in nature, these awards recognise the storytellers helping bridge that gap,” she said.
Established in 1994, the Environment Award recognises books that inspire wonder and care for the living world. The Karajia Award celebrates First Nations storytelling and the sharing of cultural knowledge across generations.
Together, the shortlisted books offer families an engaging collection of stories to read, discuss and use as inspiration for their next outdoor adventure.
Environmental Award 2026 Shortlist
FICTION
- The Brightest Wild, Hachette Australia, Tania Crampton-Larking
- Song of a Thousand Seas, University of Queensland Press, Zana Fraillon
- Spirit of the Crocodile, Allen & Unwin, Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker, with Lyn White
NON-FICTION
- Creature Corridors, CSIRO Publishing, Billie Rooney, Anke Noack
- Find me on the Coast, Hachette Australia, Jess McGeachin
- Ningaloo, Fremantle Press, Tim Winton, Cindy Lane
- Wombat Poos are Square, CSIRO Publishing, Sophie Gillies, Karen Erasmus
PICTURE FICTION
- Animals on Country, Allen & Unwin, Victor Steffenson, Sandra Steffenson
- One Koala, One Hundred Trees, Wild Dog Books, Leesa Allinson, Heather Potter & Mark Jackson
- Prayer for a River, Wild Dog Books, Uncle Glenn Loughrey and Andrew Kelly, Uncle Glenn Loughrey
- Save the Gumtrees, Scholastic Press, Luke John Matthew Arnold
