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Speak Out
October 2015
Speech Pathology Australia
2015
Book of the year awards
Best Books for Language and Literacy Development
The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards raise awareness of the role speech
pathologists play in assisting people of all ages to develop their language and literacy skills.
The winners
Teddy Took the Train
is a
gorgeous rhyming text that tells
a wholly satisfying lost and found
story. The story
has a good
narrative and
structure, with
a clear start,
middle and
end. It shows
simple problem
solving and has a wonderful use
of rhyme. The story’s rhyme is
of a high quality, with repeating
phrases resembling the clickety-
clack of a railway track – a central
focus of the story. The illustrations
match the story and its emotions,
and provide extra talk points with
young children. The story also
introduces simple concepts of
distance, time and living in a city.
Children will easily relate to the
little girl and the loss of her teddy
bear.
Big Pet Day
is a witty story
about shy and quiet Lily, and her
unusual pet – a dragon. As a
result the story
is thought-
provoking and
explores ideas
about one’s
preferences,
rules, and the
line between
imagination and fibbing. It creates
an exciting, school-based
circumstance that can be talked
about with children long after the
story is finished. The language
is descriptive, developmentally
appropriate, and uses humour
well. Colourful, attractive and
appealing illustrations reinforce
a fun tale and enhance a child’s
engagement with the story. The
clear layout of the book adds to
the attractiveness of the overall
story.
Plenty – A Place To Call Home
is the story of Maddy Frank and
her move from the city to a place
in the country
called ‘Plenty’.
The descriptive
language of this
story is second
to none, and
the theme of
‘moving’ is
something many children will
easily be able to relate to. The
language clearly evokes visual
images with its use of metaphors.
The book’s characters are easy
to get to know and children of
8–10 years can identify with
their experiences. The level of
description and expression of
emotion is very well written and
age appropriate. The story’s
underlining concept of belonging
and resilience is very pertinent and
important to the book’s reading
audience. The book’s length is
appropriate for a range of levels of
readers within the 8–10 years age
grouping.
Silly Birds
is a colourful picture
book about the ‘Dreamtime’. It is a
colourful picture book that appeals
to early
readers
with its
vivid
imagery
that
seems
to jump off the page. The text is
playful and accessible, and written
in a bold and simple style to which
children automatically relate. It
teaches the simple lessons of
listening to one's elders and
caring for others, and deals with
the important topics of Indigenous
culture, land and family.
Silly Birds
is a great resource for parents,
teachers and the young readers
they support. The story allows for
the development of oral narrative
and higher-level thinking, through
its problem-resolution structure.
Valuable lessons are told in a
clear manner, allowing for further
discussion and learning once the
reading is finished.
Three to 5 years
five to 8 years
eight to 10 years indigenous children
birth to 3 years
Snail and Turtle are Friends
is a
charming and funny story about
friendship.
It is an
endearing
story
with an
important
message
– although
we all have our differences,
we can still be friends. It is an
engaging and age appropriate
story, with a simple narrative
and good story structure. The
language used throughout is
appropriate for the age group,
with a variety of nouns, verbs
and adjectives to stimulate oral
language development. The
story draws on familiar concepts
while stimulating new ideas,
concepts and imagination. The
text and illustrations are cleverly
interwoven, helping to develop the
characters and the story’s positive
message. The illustrations invite
interaction with the book and
inspire a sense of humour. It is a
story that will be enjoyed over and
over again, allowing everyone to
find something new to appreciate
and talk about each time.
Teddy Took the Train
By Nicki Greenberg
Big Pet Day
Written by Lisa Shanahan and
Illustrated by Gus Gordon
Plenty
–
A Place to Call Home
By Amanda Braxton-Smith
Silly Birds
By Gregg Dreise
Snail and Turtle Are Friends
By Stephen Michael King
2015 book of the year