Looking for something to do these school holidays? Inspire little artists to get creative with natural and recycled materials. From bestselling author Yuval Zommer, 'The Big Book of Nature Art' is packed with twenty-two easy art activities inspired by nature. Each of the activities can be achieved in four simple steps using natural materials combined with recycled or found materials from around the home. Drawing on Zommer’s years of experience running art workshops for children, The Big Book of Nature Art includes his tips for stress-free ways to get creative with kids. Each nature art activity requires no more than five minutes set-up and five minutes clean-up, making them easy to achieve and fun for everyone involved. The book also encourages children to see the creative potential in the natural and everyday treasures all around us – from twigs, seed pods, petals and leaves through to toilet paper rolls, pencil shavings, takeaway cutlery and kitchen string. Little nature artists will enjoy making paper-plate birds; leaf bugs; coffee-cup owls; tree bark bats; and seed pod creepy crawlies, as well as scenes for their creatures to dwell in, from watery worlds to underground tunnels. 'The Big Book of Nature Art' by @yuvalzommer is available in stores and online now.

School holidays = no kinder, which means occasionally I’m doing double Aunty duties 😅 These beautifully illustrated card games from @meganmckean have really been a saviour! This week we have been playing the ‘hop, skip, snap’ version on REPEAT. As well as following the instructions included, we have hidden them around the room for a scavenger hunt, played memory, and made up noises for each of the animals 😂 I can also see some great classroom applications, like handing them out and having students form group of matching cards to work on a collaborative information report 🐨 Thanks @thamesandhudsonau for sending me these beautiful cards! 🩵

Take a look inside 'Plants for the People' by Erin Lovell Verinder, a fully qualified Western herbalist, nutritionist, energetic healer, mentor and educator. This beautiful book is an exploration of the plant world, weaving ancient wisdom with a modern approach to plant medicine. 'Plants for the People' by @erinlovellverinder is available in stores and online now. Photography by Georgia Blackie (@georgia.blackie) [Image description: A book lies open on a plain white background. On the right side of the spread is a white page with black text explaining echinacea, and on the other is a photograph of a pink echinacea flower, stem and leaf attached, on a pastel peach background.]

Never before has so much food been produced by so few people to feed so many. Never before have Australian consumers been so disconnected from their food production, yet so interested in how it's done. Weaving together science, history and lived experience, 'What’s for Dinner?' will take you on a journey to meet the plants, animals and people who put the food on our plates. This a book for anyone who eats. 'What's for Dinner' by @jillgriffithswriter is available now in stores and online. Image credit: Georgia Blackie (@georgia.blackie) [Image description: A copy of What's for Dinner' sits at an angle on a plain background. The cover features bold black lettering and a green silhouette illustration of a chicken, fish, wheat grain and upside-down boot on the prongs of a fork.]

Plants and people - we belong together. An antidote to the frenetic pace of modern life, 'Plants for the People' by Erin Lovell Verinder offers a beginner’s guide to plant medicine as a source of self-care, vitality and wellness. An evolution of herbal-medicine books of the past, ‘Plants for the People’ is filled with recipes for easy-to-make teas, tinctures, syrups, balms and baths. Throughout there are golden tips and tonics for addressing common ailments such as bloating, bad skin, lack of energy, winter coughs and colds, jangling nerves and many other present-day complaints. ‘Plants for the People’ by @erinlovellverinder is available now in store and online. Photography by Georgia Blackie (@georgia.blackie) [Image description: A copy of 'Plants for the People' sits on a green background beside a small bunch of orange flowers. The cover features pink text and a hand holding a small bunch of white flowers in front of a field.]

Some of our top 🌱 picks 🌻 for bringing nature into your home: 🌿 Plants for the People by @erinlovellverinder 🍋 The Kitchen Garden by @lucymora.artful.kitchen.garden 🍄 The Future is Fungi by @psyearth_ 🌼 Bush Flowers by @bush.flowers 🌸 Super Bloom by @jac.semmler of @superbloomau

What are we really eating? How do we eat in a way that nourishes us and does least harm to the environment? What exactly do farmers do? Should the world go vegan? Do food miles matter? Discover everything you've ever wanted to know about the way our food is grown and our responsibilities as eaters in 'What's for Dinner?', the thought-provoking new release from acclaimed science writer, Jill Griffiths (jillgriffithswriter). Available now in stores and online. Image credit: Georgia Blackie (@georgia.blackie) [Image description: A copy of What's for Dinner sits askew on a cream background beside stalks from a strawberry bush and specks of dirt. The cover features a cream background, large black lettering and a green silhouette illustration of a chicken, fish, wheat grain and boot on each prong of a fork.]

We were delighted to attend the 2023 Australian Book Design Awards (@theabda) at the end of May and watch two of our brilliant books win some exceptional awards. 'Goonyah Goondie + Wurley: The Aboriginal Architecture of Australia' by Paul Memmott, designed by Pfisterer + Freeman (@pfisterer_freeman), won the Best Designed Non-Fiction Book and Designers' Choice Award. With thanks to the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) for their support in the making of this book. 'My Strange Shrinking Parents' by Zeno Sworder (@zenosworder), designed and illustrated by the author himself, won Best Designed Children's Book and Cover of the Year. Congratulations to our winning designers and authors, we are so grateful to work with you and so chuffed to share in the joy of these awards. Thank you to the incredible ABDA committee for your continued dedication year on year, we are grateful and impressed by all that you do. Image credits: 1. Georgia Blackie @georgia.blackie 2. Zeno Sworder @zenosworder [Image description: 1. A copy of a hardback book with black and red text sits in shadows on a plain white background. 2. A copy of a hardback picture book with an illustration of a child's legs with tiny parents next to the child's feet sits on top of a pile of draft illustrations.]

Autumn book cover aesthetic 🍂

Here's a look inside Kat Macleod's latest picture book, 'The Tiny Tailors'. We love Kat's signature mixed-media style and the way this beautiful book uses a variety of verbs to help young readers learn, while also encouraging explorers big and small to use their imagination and discover new natural artefacts in their own garden. 'The Tiny Tailors' by @katmacleod is available now in stores and online. Photography by Georgia Blackie (@georgia.blackie) [Image description: a copy of 'The Tiny Tailors' sits open on a plain white background. The double page spread shows a colourful illustration of the Tiny Tailors standing amongst passionfruit vines with fruit, purple flowers and various insects.]

Want to learn a new skill this weekend? With expert guidance from @linocutboy, you'll be a linocut pro by Sunday afternoon! Available now, Nick Morley's new book 'Linocut: Learn in a Weekend' is filled with step-by-step projects, templates and clear photography. [Image description: a spread from 'Linocut: Learn in a Weekend' lies open on a plain white background. The left side has black text with the heading 'Printing'. The right side has a photograph of an in progress linocut with a blue, green and orange robot.]

Kat Macleod stopped by Readings Kids today and ran into our lovely Sales Rep, Kaitlyn 🌼 what perfect timing! Stop by Readings Kids for a SIGNED copy of The Tiny Tailors! @katmacleod @readingskids @purveyor_of_taste