Books to Include in Your Early Childhood Classroom in 2025
Welcome to a new school year. With school set to start very soon across Australia, I thought it might be nice to share some insights into which of my in-print books might be suitable for different classes across the school years, and resources available to support them. So, in this first post, I am going to focus on books suitable for Kindergarten and Pre-primary classrooms (noting that because these classes have different names across Australia, I am referring to classes for ages 3-5).
Firstly, I have two picture books suitable for use in Early Childhood.
The Floatingest Frog
(illustrated by Simon Bosch, published by New Frontier). This one is fun to read aloud and, if you have a couple of frog puppets, also fun to act out. The story of two frogs who spot a cow and wonder if they can be bigger than it, it is based on an Aesop’s Fable, the Frog and the Ox, and also delas with competitiveness and sibling rivalry.What can it be used for: Reading for pleasure, which is key for this age group, but also, to help address outcomes including ASELA1433a (Encounter books, print and digital texts and respond to images in the text) and ACELT 1783a (Respond to texts listened to, viewed or read). Because it is retold fable (you can see one version of the original fable here) there is the opportunity to explore fables and address ACELT1578 and ACELT1580) and also link to science and the topic of frogs. You’ll find a collection of frog related videos used in a unit which followed on from reading The Floatingest Frog here .
Although it is a little hard to find in stores, The Floatingest Frog is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me, posted anywhere in Australia for $20
2.
Snowy’s Christmas (illustrated by David Murphy, published by Random House). Although, in January, Christmas seems a very long way away, it will be here before you know it – and, besides, who says you have to wait until Christmas to read a Christmas story? Featuring a white kangaroo, this is an Australian Christmas story, and effectively an Australian version of the famous Rudolph story.
What can it be used for: As above, reading for pleasure and, at the end of the year, particularly the pleasure and excitement of Christmas. Addressing literacy outcomes also listed above, but also a wonderful tie-in for Christmas-themed units of work, or units focussing on Australian animals., as well as on self acceptance and families. These teaching ideas, although linked to Year 2 learning outcomes, will provide lots of ideas which can be adapted for early childhood. Snowy’s Christmas also appears on the readings lists for the Premier’s reading Challenges in Victoria and in NSW.
As with The Floatingest Frog, Snowy’s Christmas is a little hard to find in stores, but is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me, posted anywhere in Australia for $18.
If you are hoping to include more poetry in your early childhood classroom, I have two books suitable for educators, both including poems by myself and others suitable for classroom use.
Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose ( Published by PETAA) is, as the title suggests, designed to help you in teaching poetry in pleasurable ways, but also with the purpose of supporting the demands of the curriculum. There is a chapter for each primary school year, including Foundation/Preprimary, unpacking key terminology, suggesting activities both in reading and writing, and including poems and suggestions for further resources. Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose is available directly from PETAA in both hardcopy and digital formats. PETAA also offer an online professional learning module of the same name. where you can hear more from me on the teaching of poetry.
Assembly (published by Ready Ed Publications) is a collection of printable poems for use for performing, recitation or just having fun with, including poems suitable for early childhood. Each poem is printable, and is supported with a page of teaching notes. Available in hard copy or ebook format directly from the publisher .This is just a taste of what I have written suitable for this age group. There are also other picture books, which unfortunately are no longer in print, but may be in your school library (including Fly in Fly Out Dad and Pemberthy Bear) as well as several reading series titles.
And, if you’d like to see me in person, I am available to visit your school for author visits or to run
professional learning. Feel free to contact me to find out more. You can also do the same if you’d like some advice on using my books in your classroom.
