Nature Book Week
Our annual, all-ages celebration of nature-themed storytelling returns 14 October!
Karajia and Environment Awards for Children's Literature
The Wilderness Society's annual celebration of the best new nature-themed children's books
Since 1994, we've been celebrating the best new fiction, non-fiction and picture books written for children that promote a love of nature.
Submissions have now closed for our 2024 Karajia and Environment Awards for Children's Literature. Stay tuned for the shortlist announcement!
Nature Book Week
Our annual, all-ages celebration of nature-themed storytelling returns 14 October!
2023 winners
Last year, 21 books were shortlisted across both Awards and the judging panel had a tough job picking these winners!
Karajia Award for Children’s Literature: Looking after Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen, illustrated by Sandra Steffensen, published by Hardie Grant Explore
Environment Award for Children’s Literature
Non-fiction: The ABC Guide to Loving the Planet by Jaclyn Crupi, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, published by ABC Books an imprint of Harper Collins
Picture fiction (co-winners): Kind by Jess McGeachin, published by Allen & Unwin, and The Tree at Number 43 by Jess McGeachin, published by Penguin Random House Australia
Fiction: Berani by Michelle Kadarusman, published by Allen & Unwin
Our friends from Gleebooks are donating 10% of sales of the shortlisted or winning titles back to the Wilderness Society to protect nature!
Congratulations Jessica Hay from Queensland who won the full shortlist!
Here’s what our judges had to say about the winning books
Adam Goodes joined the judging panel this year! Adam is an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man and community leader—and of course, a footy legend. He was also a co-winner of the 2022 Karajia Award.
Here’s what he had to say about Looking After Country with Fire: “What I love about this book is the acknowledgment of Traditional Aboriginal ways and how they can be still useful and efficient in today’s settings, especially the management of Country with fire.”
Adam Duncan is a early childhood educator and a Biripi man whose family and ancestors were Traditional Custodians of lands in the Manning River region of New South Wales.
Here’s what he had to say about The ABC Guide to Loving the Planet: “An amazingly practical guide, geared at children and young people. Filled with accessible and useful ideas, concepts and activities that children can undertake to care for the environment.”
Sami Bayly is an award-winning author and illustrator. She was the winner of the 2022 non-fiction category of the Environment Award for Children’s Literature.
Here’s what she had to say about Berani: “This book promotes a great discussion of ethics/morals, consequences and the environment and how they sometimes may not be as straightforward as you might think. A great topic for kids in the current times."
Alex Papps is a writer and actor. And a much-loved Playschool presenter!
Here’s what he had to say about The Tree at Number 43: “A fantastic tale of inspiration and solidarity.”
Adam Duncan had this to say about Kind: “Breathtakingly illustrated—Kind simplifies the process involved in effectively fostering environmental stewardship in children by reducing the first step to its most accessible form—be kind to all creatures.”
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Meet last year's judges
Adam Goodes is an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man and community leader. He is a former Australian Rules Footballer, having achieved the greatest heights in the game, and was named Australian of the Year in 2014 for his public work in the fight against racism and his advocacy in First Nations affairs. Together with his cousin Michael O'Loughlin, Adam founded the GO Foundation, which supports and inspires the next generation of First Nations leaders. With a diploma in Aboriginal Studies and his own daughter approaching preschool age, Adam was motivated to publish a series of books for young children and families about Australia's First Nations history.
Meet the judges
Hunter Page-Lochard has many film, television and theatre acting credits, and has written and directed children's shows Thalu, Playschool, Beep & Mort and The Wonder Gang. He will next be seen in the feature film Kid Snow and in the second season of the award winning series The Newsreader for the ABC. His other recent credits include the ABC drama series Barons and the ABC/NBCUniversal critically acclaimed series Fires. He is also one of the regular hosts of Playschool.
Meet the judges
Leanne Mulgo Watson is a Darug woman and is the daughter of Aunty Edna Watson and Uncle Allan Watson. She started painting at a young age, and is now an accomplished artist, illustrator, and writer. Her book Cooee Mittigar won the 2020 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children's Literature.
Meet the judges
Alex Papps has a lengthy list of television, film and theatre credits, and has written for Home and Away and Play School. In 2014, he released and album of children’s music called, “Let’s Put The Beat In Our Feet.” Alex has been a regular presenter on ABC TV’s Play School since 2005.
Meet the judges
Sami Bayly is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator. She has released three books in the Illustrated Encyclopaedia series and has just released her fourth book, How We Came To Be - Surprising Sea Creatures. With a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration (Honours) at UoN, she appreciates all animals, especially the weird ones!
Meet the judges
Adam Duncan is a Biripi man whose family and ancestors were traditional custodians of lands in the Manning River region of New South Wales. Adam lives and works on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country as a visual artist, cultural education consultant and preschool teacher at Wiradjuri Preschool at the University of Canberra.
Who picks the shortlist?
The Environment Award for Children’s Literature has been recognising the talents of authors and illustrators and promoting a love of nature in young people since it was established in 1994. The group of Environmental Educators who helped start the Award back in 1994 shortlists the books, with the help of two junior judges.
Launched in 2022, the Karajia Award for Children’s Literature celebrates excellence in children's literature by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island authors and/or illustrators, who honour Connection to Country and tell stories exploring land, community, culture and language. This year, Danae Coots and Melissa Gee shortlisted the books for the Karajia Award.
Environment Award for Children’s Literature: encourages a caring attitude towards the natural environment and/or promotes an awareness of environmental issues.
2023 Karajia Award for Children's Literature shortlist
| The Heartbeat of the Land by Cathy Freeman and Coral Vass, illustrated by Tannya Harricks, published by Larrikin House |
| Ninni Yabini by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker, illustrated by Tyrown Waigana, published by Fremantle Press |
| The Dunggiirr Brothers and the Caring Song of the Whale by Aunty Shaa Smith and Yandaarra, published by Allen & Unwin |
| Our Dreaming by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler, published by Scholastic Australia |
| Come Together by Isaiah Firebrace, illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, published by Hardie Grant Explore |
| Looking After Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen, illustrated by Sandra Steffensen, published by Hardie Grant Explore |
| Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth by Melissa Greenwood, published by ABC Books: An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| We Are Australians by Duncan Smith, Nicole Godwin, illustrated by Jandamarra Cadd, published by Wild Dog Books |
| Open Your Heart to Country by Jasmine Seymour, published by Magabala Books |
You can buy one—or all!—of these wonderful titles through our partner Gleebooks, who will donate 10% of sales back to the Wilderness Society so we can continue to protect the nature we love and depend on.
What is the Karajia award?
Over the last several years, we noticed that more and more First Nations authored and/or illustrated books being submitted to the Environment Award for Children’s Literature, many of these stories honouring a connection to Country and exploring land, community, culture and language. That’s why we launched the Karajia Award for Children’s Literature in 2022—an award that celebrates this continent's First Nations authors and/or illustrated children’s books.
In Mirning culture, ‘Karajia’ is a holder and teller of the ancient stories, carried from when the world was young. Bunna Lawrie, Senior Elder of the Mirning people, is a Karajia. He was one of the three inaugural judges of the award and has shared this incredibly special name with us.
2023 Environment Award For Children's Literature shortlist
Fiction
 | Sunny the Shark by Remy Lai, published by Allen & Unwin |
| Tyenna: Through My Eyes - Australian Disaster Zones by Julie Hunt and Terry Whitebeach, published by Allen & Unwin |
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| Berani by Michelle Kadarusman, published by Allen & Unwin |
 | Dear Greta by Yvette Poshoglian, published by Penguin Random House Australia |
Non-fiction
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| We Are Australians by Duncan Smith and Nicole Godwin, illustrated by Jandamarra Cadd, published by Wild Dog Books |
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| The ABC Kids Guide to Loving the Planet by Jaclyn Crupi, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, published by ABC Books: An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| On the Trail of the Plains-Wanderer: A Precious Australian Bird by Rohan Cleave, illustrated by Julian Teh, published by CSIRO Publishing |
| Australia's Endangered Bush Creatures by Myke Mollard, published by Woodslane Press Pty Ltd |
Picture fiction
| Say NO to Plastic! by Ned & Shane Heaton, illustrated by Tamzin Barber, published by Little Steps |
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| The Tree at Number 43 by Jess McGeachin, published by Penguin Random House Australia |
| A Shorebird Flying Adventure by Jackie Kerin and Milly Formby, published by CSIRO Publishing |
| Looking After Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen, illustrated by Sandra Steffensen, published by Hardie Grant Explore |
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| Kind by Jess McGeachin, published by Allen & Unwin |
You can buy one—or all!—of these wonderful titles through our partner Gleebooks, who will donate 10% of sales back to the Wilderness Society so we can continue to protect the nature we love and depend on.
3 decades of nature stories
Explore nearly 30 year’s worth of the very best winning and shortlisted kids' nature books.
