Christmas Storytime Reading event

The Thing About Christmas is a warm and joyful picture book that reminds us of what really matters during the holiday season. Brimming with festive spirit, it celebrates love, togetherness and the magic of making the season your own – no matter how big or small.
Perfect for families starting new traditions or cherishing old ones, this modern holiday tale carries a timeless message at its core. There's no right or wrong, whatever you do – Christmas in your home is unique, just like you.

Jo Dabrowski is a Melbourne-based children’s author and illustrator with a background in advertising. Her titles include the middle-grade novel Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski, shortlisted for the 2024 Readings Prize, and children’s picture book Higher! Jo currently runs a creative agency with her husband from home, where she continues to contribute heartwarming words and pictures to modern children’s books.

The Last Egg: When Mother Bird and Father Bird discover a large blue egg in their nest, they treat it as their own. A beautiful story about love and kindness and loyalty in the face of adversity, from the award-winning creators of many much-loved picture books including Iceberg and When You're Older.

SOFIE LAGUNA's many books for young people have been published in the US, the UK, and in translation throughout Europe and Asia. She has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Awards, and twice been awarded Honour Book by the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). She is also a highly acclaimed author for adults. Sofie lives in Melbourne with her husband, Marc McBride, and their two sons.

JESS RACKLYEFT creates a variety of illustrated things - picture books, paintings, prints, pins and cards - mainly in watercolours. She works from her studio at the beautiful Abbotsford Convent, and regularly has picnic lunches watching the neighbouring sheep and horses! Her art often combines collage - either on paper or digitally assembled - experimentation and lots of watercolour. Sometimes she writes the books as well. Jess worked in publishing sales for almost a decade before making the leap to full-time illustration and writing, and since then has won several illustration accolades including CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Iceberg (written by Claire Saxby). Her work can now be found in bookshops and libraries across Australia, and her days are happily spent in a messy studio creating books or visiting schools.

Why I Love Christmas: From fake snow in the heat of summer to cute kids busking carols, from late night drives to see the lights to dogs wearing reindeer antlers - an Australian Christmas is unique.
In this book Christmas is for everyone. It's all about sharing traditions and spending time with the people we love and missing some people too. A perfect gift from the team who bought us the much-loved Dirt by Sea, Why I Love Footy and Why I Love Summer.

Michael Wagner is a children's author, speaker and storyteller. He writes for early childhood and for older children, and runs the publishing venture Billy Goat Books. Some of his most-loved picture books include Why I Love Footy, Why I love Summer and Dirt by Sea illustrated by Tom Jellett.
Prior to becoming a children's author, Michael played in a band that almost became famous, spent ten years working as a radio broadcaster with the ABC, wrote and produced award-winning animation for television, and wrote and performed comedy.

Also check out other Arts events in Hawthorn, Literary Art events in Hawthorn.