{"id":467510,"date":"2026-02-09T01:15:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T01:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/467510\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T01:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T01:15:10","slug":"lesters-magic-beach-named-australias-best-childrens-picture-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/467510\/","title":{"rendered":"Lester\u2019s \u201cMagic Beach\u201d named Australia\u2019s best children\u2019s picture book"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\tMonday, 9 February 2026 \u00a0 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing<\/a><\/p>\n

The Guardian has announced the winner<\/a> of its poll for Australia\u2019s best children\u2019s picture book as\u00a0Magic Beach\u00a0by Alison Lester (A&U Children\u2019s).<\/p>\n

The Guardian said the book \u201cfollows the different adventures children can have on a day at the beach, through both the wonders of the natural environment and the power of imagination.\u201d<\/p>\n

First published in 1990, Magic Beach was released as a 30th anniversary edition by Allen & Unwin in 2020, after over half a million copies had been already sold. Last year, an animated film adaptation of the book was created by director Robert Connolly and release on streaming service Stan.<\/p>\n

The creator of multiple picture books, Lester runs a bookshop containing all of her works in Fish Creek, Victoria. Lester is an inaugural Australian Children\u2019s Laureate<\/a>, a position she shared with Boori Monty Pryor and in 2019, she was featured on a postage stamp<\/a> and was recipient of a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lester said, \u201cI think I owe a lot to my family and friends who were all in there voting for me as well \u2026 There was such a huge number of beautiful books, so I am very, very thrilled.\u201d<\/p>\n

The top books in the poll were:<\/p>\n

Magic Beach (Alison Lester, A&U Children\u2019s) (2,557 votes)
\n Possum Magic (Alison Lester, A&U Children\u2019s) (1,782 votes)
\nWhere is the Green Sheep? (Mem Fox, illus Judy Horacek, Viking) (1,609 votes)
\nDiary of a Wombat\u00a0(Jackie French, illus Bruce Whatley, HarperCollins) (1,556 votes)
\nMy Shadow is Pink (Scott Stuart, Larrikin) (1,436 votes)
\nAnimalia (Graeme Base, Picture Puffin) (1,340 votes)
\nRoom on Our Rock<\/a> (Kate and Jol Temple, illus Terri Rose Baynton, Scholastic) (1,290 votes)
\nThere\u2019s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (Hazel Edwards, illus Deborah Niland, Picture Puffin)(1,267 votes)
\nCome Over to My House (Sally Rippin and Eliza Hull, illus Daniel Gray-Barnett, HGCP) (1,008 votes)
\nAll the Ways to Be Smart<\/a> (Davina Bell, illus Allison Colpoys, Scribble) (1,002 votes).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Category: Local\u00a0news<\/a> <\/p>\n

\t\t