Australian literature: Children's literature
How to find information about children's books
Start with the Library Catalogue
- choose subject from the drop-down list
- Type your keywords [for example 'juvenile literature'] in the search bar
Selected works
A series of three volumes by Henry Maurice Saxby:
- Vol. 1, Images of Australia : a History of Australian Children's Literature 1941-1970
- Vol. 2, Offered to Children : a History of Australian Children's Literature 1841-1941
- Vol. 3, The Proof of the Puddin' : Australian Children's Literature 1970-1990
Australian Children's Books: A Bibliography, in three volumes, authored first by Marcie Muir and then Kerry White.
It aims to list every work published, and each entry has a Notes field with mention of special prizes etc. for that publication:
- Vol. 1 contains items published between 1774 and 1972
- Vol. 2 items from 1973 to 1988
- Vol. 3 items from 1989 to 2000
For 20th century authors see the seven volume set:
- Book people : meet Australia's children's authors and illustrators by Paul Collins (2002)
Australian children's fiction : the subject guide by Kerry White (1993) - on open access in the Main Reading Room Reference Collection at RFq A 823.3099282 W585. The 1996 update is also available.
Fairfax Corporation, Editor Constance Robertson's daughters reading in garden, Sydney, 1 July 1932, nla.cat-vn6300482
Fairfax Corporation, Editor Constance Robertson's daughters reading in garden, Sydney, 1 July 1932, nla.cat-vn6300482
Where to find information in our online databases
Find these databases in the Library's eResources.
AustLit: the resource for Australian literature is a key resource for information about Australian writers and writing covering the 1780s to the present. You can find AustLit by visiting our eResources portal and searching for this database under the Browse eResources tab.
- Select the Research tab at the top of the page
- Scroll down and under 'More projects' find Children's
These pages cover topics including children's literature digital resources, the Lu Rees Collection and reading in the Victorian classroom.
The Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: in History and Society: articles on education, parenting, child labor, economics, images of childhood, children's literature, play, toys and games, health, physiology, law, the criminal justice system and social welfare. Search for this database via our eResources portal under the Browse eResources tab.
Registered members of the National Library can access the above databases from home.
The Source a guide by subject to children's literature, poetry and short stories: Available in the National Library Reading Rooms via eResources. The Source is a searchable bibliographic database to children's literature by subject from around the world with an emphasis on Australian and New Zealand books.
Case study: Information about a favourite author
My parents met Graeme Clifford when I was a young child of about two - circa 1950. He gave me a signed copy of the book The Oyster and the Snail. How can I find out more about the author?
- Starting with the National Library of Australia Catalogue, we find two copies of The Oyster and the Snail by Graeme Clifford. There are no other books by this author; it may be that this is the only book he ever published.
- Graeme Clifford appears in the AustLit database, but it doesn't list any biographical information, and only lists one work produced by him, The Oyster and the Snail.
- The reference work Australian children's books : a bibliography has Graeme Clifford listed, but again only that one work has been attributed to him. The book was self published, and the illustrator, J. A. Guerin illustrated several other children's books. The book was printed by Morris & Walker in Melbourne.
- One book review for The Oyster and the Snail appeared in the Argus on 16 Dec 1947. You can read it online.
- The Australian Electoral Rolls for Victoria and other states have no reference to Graeme Clifford in the late 1940 or early 1950s, so there is no indication that he had another occupation. It may be that 'Graeme Clifford' was a pen name.
National Library collections
Use the link in the 'Related records' field of this record. Each book has its own record, and in each record there is a link in the 'Related records' field so you can go back to the list.
Kerry White collection of Australian children's books
Search these in the same way noted above.
The books in this Collection have been integrated into the Australian Collection, however there is a bibliography available: Australian children's books to 1980 : a select bibliography of the collection held in the National Library of Australia.
Online lists
The Children's Book Council of Australia has a section on Children's Book of the Year Awards. Winners are listed back to 1946.
Use Trove to find the title you want in a library near you.
Featured resource
Dennis, C. J & Gye, Hal. (1921). A book for kids, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1047813
Dennis, C. J. (Clarence James), 1876-1938, A Book for Kids Sydney : Angus & Robertson, [1921]
Where can you read children's books online?
Early editions of two classic Australian children's books have been digitised by the National Library of Australia, and are available online:
Blinky Bill, the Quaint Little Australian (1933) by Dorothy Wall
Dot and the Kangaroo (1920) by Ethel C. Pedley
You can also find more digitised children's books on the International Children's Digital Library website. Search under 'Books by Country' to find Australian material.
Related link
National Centre for Australian Children's Literature - a comprehensive collection of books and other resources about authors, illustrators, publishers and their creative works, housed at the University of Canberra
In this guide
Mark Strizic, Searching for books at the State Library of Victoria, January 1967, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140508667
Fairfax Corporation, Two men shaking hands in front of a schoolboy holding two trophies and another with three books at Sydney Boys' High School, Sydney, 28 December 1931, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-161791200
Williamson, Geordie, The burning library : our great novelists lost and found. Melbourne : Text Publishing, 2012
Aitken, A., photographer, On the set of the film Two minutes silence, New South Wales, 12 May 1932, nla.obj-162472775
Morgan, Sally and Kwaymullina, Ezekiel, Sam's Bush Journey, Surry Hills, N.S.W. : Little Hare Books, 2009
Fairfax Corporation, Four young boys reading books on top of a stone wall during health week at school, New South Wales, ca. 1930,nla.obj-162139840
Peter Pierce, (2009), The Cambridge history of Australian literature, https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn4557384