Celebrating the Little Moments | 9 Picture Books for Children

The big moments in life are filled with excitement, fun and happiness, but sometimes it is the small quiet moments that bring us the most joy and the fondest memories. These quiet moments have been beautifully captured in these 9 picture books for children of all ages. They are filled with lovely reminders of how simple moments can be extraordinary too.

Extraordinary by Penny Harrison and Kate Wilson

Extraordinary! celebrates the best moments in life: the ones we share with friends and family. They may be simple, they may be ordinary, but they are moments we will cherish forever.

Joy by Corrinne Averiss and Isabelle Follath

Fern’s Nanna has not been herself of late. And when Mom remarks that all the joy seems to have gone out of her life, Fern decides to fetch the joy back. With her catching-kit at the ready, she goes to the park and finds joy in all sorts of unusual places. Whooooshh! But Fern soon realises that joy doesn’t fit in a bag, or a box, or a can! How will she manage to bring some back to Nanna?

The Bug Collector by Alex G Griffiths

After George visits the Museum of Wildlife with Grandad, all he can think about is bugs! The very next day he goes out hunting, but he soon finds there are no more insects left in the garden, and the ones he has captured in jars don’t look very happy. George is about to learn exactly why bugs are so important.

The Astronaut’s Cat by Tohby Riddle

The astronaut’s cat is an inside cat – on the Moon! But she dreams about the strange outside world – and the mysterious blue ball that rises into the ink-black sky . . .

Tilly by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker

Tilly’s found the perfect hiding place to keep her special treasures. No one knows about it, not even her big brothers and sister, who know everything. But one day, something happens that Tilly could never have imagined…

Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker

A busy week, a slower day, brings time to dream and time to play.

From the creators of the much-loved All Through the Year comes a journey through a week in the life of an Australian family, celebrating those precious days that have no plans.

A Quiet Girl by Peter Carnavas

Mary is a quiet girl. Her family makes so much noise they hardly notice her – or anything else. Until Mary, in her own gentle way, shows them what they’ve been missing.

Ella and the Ocean by Lian Tanner and Jonathan Bentley

A very Australian story of drought and renewal, of family, of imagination and of the power of hope.

Ella lived in the red-dirt country
where the earth was as dry as old bones
and it hadn’t rained
for years
and years
and years.

One night, Ella dreamt of the ocean…

Perfect by Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood

On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells … paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end.

I hope you enjoy reading these beautiful stories as much as I did. They are a wonderful reminder about what is important in life, especially during these difficult times. Even though we may be stuck at home, there is still beauty in our surroundings, we may just have to look a little closer.

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