I always wait in anticipation for this day in August when the illustrious CBCA Book of the Year winners are announced.
It must have been a difficult decision for judges. The other short-listed books in our opinion would all have been worthy winners. When judging the books, here are some of the criteria that the books are judged upon:
- Artistic style and graphic excellence (including typography)
- Effective use of media and technique;
- Colour, line, shape, texture;
- Relationship between illustration and text;
- Consistency of style, characterisation, information and setting;
- Clarity, appropriateness and aesthetic appeal of illustrations;
- Quality of book design, production, printing and binding
My Little Bookcase would like to congratulate all the winning authors, illustrators and publishers. We’re particularly pleased to see some of our friends on this list: Nick Bland finally wins a CBCA award, and Freya Blackwood adds another notch to her belt.
Early Childhood Book of the Year 2012
(Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages)
WINNER

Author: Nick Bland
Illustrator: Freya Blackwood
ISBN: 978-1741698909
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic, July 2011
RRP: $24.99 (aud)
Suitable for ages 3+
HONOUR

Author: Sonya Hartnett
Illustrator: Lucia Mascuillo
ISBN: 978-0670074754
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Viking Australia (Imprint of Penguin), August 2011
RRP: $24.95 (aud)
Suitable for ages: 5+
HONOUR

Author/Illustrator: Elizabeth Honey
ISBN: 978-1742372488
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, May 2011
RRP: $24.99
Suitable for ages: 3+
Picture Book of the Year 2012
(Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. Some books may be for mature readers)
WINNER

Author and Illustrator: Bob Graham
ISBN: 978-1-4063-3419-7
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Walker Books, October 2011
RRP: $27.95 (aud)
Suitable for ages: 3+
HONOUR
Author: Margaret Wild
Illustrator: Ron Brooks
ISBN : 978-1742373836
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, April 2011
HONOUR
Author: Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whately
ISBN : 978-1742830728
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, August 2011
Eve Pownall Book of the Year 2012
(Information books intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. Some books may be for mature readers)
WINNER

Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch
ISBN: 978-0670072361
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Viking Australia, August 2011
HONOUR

Authors: Anh and Suzanne Do
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
ISBN :978-1742378329
Format : Hardback
Publisher : Allen & Unwin, September 2011
RRP: $24.99
HONOUR
By Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art
ISBN: 978-1921503344
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Queensland Art Gallery, August 2011
Younger Readers Book of the Year 2012
(These books are intended for independent younger readers)
WINNER
Crow Country, by Kate Constable and Published by Allen & Unwin
HONOUR
Nanberry: Black Brother White, by Jackie French & published by Angus & Robertson/Harper Collins Publishers
HONOUR
The Truth about Verity Sparks, by Susan Green & published by Walker Books
Older Readers Book of the Year 2012
(These books may be for mature readers)
WINNER
The Dead I Know, by Scot Gardiner & published by Penguin Group Australia
HONOUR
A Straight Line to my Heart, by Bill Condon & published by Allen & Unwin
HONOUR
When We were Two, by Robert Newton & published by Penguin Books








