The Endless Shelf

Can you believe our little podcast has been going for one whole year now?! We are completely chuffed at its beginnings, and it's got a very promising future ahead. In this special episode we listen to messages from our birthday hotline, with calls from listeners and past guests, and even a silly question or two! It's endless fun & now we're one! Send comments to Renata & Boo...

Picture book magic is landing on the shelf again! Ruth McGurk is a picture book author living with her family and teaching in Victoria. She has two new picture books out in the world, The Dinosaur Did It & the book she and Renata discuss in this episode, The New Blue Scarf. Renata and Ruth talk kid's books, jumper collections, teaching inspiration, desserts, social media content, writing...

The shelf has a new bright shiny treasure to show you! Liz Ledden is a kid's book author and host of the classic Aussie kidlit podcast One More Page. She lives on the east coast of Queensland making fantastic picture books including Tulip and Brutus, Walking Your Human, and today’s featured story, Everyone Wants an Octopus Book! Renata and Liz talk kids books, ducks, podcasting, the first pot...

We're back with another middle-grade book for the shelf! Victoria Carless has two middle-grade books, Gus & the Starlight, and the book we focus on in this episode, Lani & the Universe! Renata and Victoria talk kid's books, tigers, science, hot air balloons, pillow forts, space & the orange origin. The episode is squishy, squeaky, and colourfully tears our host away! LANI &am...

It's a time to add another middle-grade book to our shelf! Leo has come to share his debut novel Tuckshop Terrors with our listeners! Leo and Renata talk kids books, animation, giant toothbrushes, felt, school, great authors, and fish scales. TUCKSHOP TERRORS AUTHOR:               Leo Baker PUBLISHER:          Australian Society of Authors *** The Endless Shelf does not guarantee the safety o...

Another beautiful picture book is on The Shelf! Sandhya Parappukkaran is a picture book author with titles including The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name, Amma's Sari, and the featured story, Stay For Dinner, which recently won the Multicultural NSW award from the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. There's a very special announcement waiting in this chat!! Renata and Sandhya talk kids b...

Welcome to our very first Block Breakers episode! Block Breakers are writer's cut versions of previous interviews, with lots and lots of amazing writer content that we normally cut for our kid friendly episode format.  Lian's interview is a perfect example of why we need this second format for the kidlit community. It's endless inspiration! Send comments to Renata & Booky: Suppo...

Tune in 29 May 2024 for our first writer's cut of an interview! Our first Block Breaker's episode is an extended version of last week's episode with Lian Tanner. It's endless inspiration! Send comments to Renata & Booky: Support the show Follow us on instagram at endlessshelfpod! Booky keeps the fun in your feed.

Another great book is on the endless shelf! Lian Tanner is one of the greats in the Aussie kidlit world of today. With many series including The Keepers, The Rogues, The Hidden/Icebreaker, Feathered Crime Fighters, and picture book Ella and the Ocean, Lian has a new series to share with us, and we're focusing in on its second book. The middle-grade Dragons of Hollow Series began with Spellhou...

You know the shelf always has space for more books, and it's time for another great picture book to join the greats on our list. This week's guest is Jess Galatola, sharing her debut picture book and some exciting news on an upcoming project! Renata and Jess talk kid's books, teaching drama, how to talk about hard things with kids, planets,  toe strength, flowers, flours, and fish a...

We're back with more great Aussie kid's books to add to our shelf and yours! Eileen O'Hely has many kid's book series out in the world, and today we celebrate her latest addition to her published works: picture book Aisling & Amelia! Eileen and Renata talk kid's books, astronomy, dance, visiting wizards, languages, canoes & secrets of the insect world. It's en...

It's our final episode for the year! What a wonderful year 2023 has been for Booky & the team. This episode is our first International recording! Vikki and Renata talk kids books, libraries, Christmas, Lego and shot putters. We have plenty of new episodes coming in 2024, but for now we hope you have a great holiday period! PICTURE BOOK: POPPY, THE QUEEN & THE SEAT AUTHOR:             ...

It's time for the school holidays, and we don't want you listeners to miss your chance at attending awesome kid's book events! We focus on events at kid's book shops in brisbane, but we'll be sharing the names of kid's bookshops all over Australia, so that you can find the one closest to you and go experience their magic! So many cool experiences await you all. Lauren...

It's season 2, episode 2, so how about we celebrate 2 picture books!! It's too good. Renata and Zewlan talk kids books, diversity, empathy, dancing, dinosaurs & mangoes! NOTHING ALIKE AUTHOR:               Zewlan Moor ILLUSTRATOR:   Peter Cheong PUBLISHER:         Hardie Grant Children's Publishing   THE BILL DUP  AUTHOR:              Zewlan Moor ILLUSTRATOR:  Simon O'Carri...

 We're back for a second season! Lauren and Renata talk kids books, lollies, the power of story, witches,  pyjamas, & leprechauns. THE LOLLY SHOP AUTHORS: Lauren, Baxter & Ethan Hackney ILLUSTRATORS: Baxter & Ethan Hackney It's endless fun! Send comments to Renata & Booky: Support the show Follow us on instagram at endlessshelfpod! Booky keeps the fun in your feed.

It's time for a middle grade fiction edition of The Endless Shelf! Renata and Emma talk kids books, fantasy, an awesome kids writing competition, frogs, and chocolatey treasure. RAINE IN THE UNDERLANDS - THE LOREKEEPER SERIES: BOOK ONE AUTHOR: E.M. Greville COVER ILLUSTRATOR: Kit Cronk PUBLISHER: Lightning Source Inc It's Endless Fun! Send comments to Renata & Booky: Support the show...

We're back and straight into another awesome episode! Renata and Sharon talk kid's books, teaching, and whether they've ever tried fire eating. This episode focuses on just one of Sharon's fantastic picture books, but we recommend you check out all of her titles! LET'S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA AUTHOR:                  Sharon Giltrow ILLUSTRATOR:      Dhwani Gosalia PUBLISHER: ...

This week we add some beautiful serenity to the shelf, with picture book The Lucky Shack by Apsara Baldovino. This story brings life and beautiful meaning to a little place through beautiful art work in words and illustrations. Renata and Apsara talk gratitude, creativity, tutus and symbiotic pockets. It's endless fun! THE LUCKY SHACK (Picture Book) Author:           Apsara Baldovino Illustra...

Alison McLennan is a many times published kid's book author. She's got titles such as Growing Pains, Great and Small, Hotel for Bees, and Birdie Lights up the World. But guess what? She has a new book coming out, and we got to chat about it! Renata and Ally talk kid's books, cartwheels, and woolly giraffes. Calamity Jones: A Flamingo for Christmas AUTHOR:          Alison McLennan PU...

Renata and Booky welcome Gabby Bassett to join them for a chat about kids books, inclusion, fairy lights and pizza! The ending really pops...with non-stop surprises all over the place. JACK'S BEST DAY EVER (Picture Book) AUTHOR:                   Gabrielle Bassett ILLUSTRATOR:       Annabelle Hale PUBLISHER:             Woodslane Press It's endless fun! Send comments to Renata & Book...

Episode five celebrates another magnificent picture book - Easy Peasy by Ky Garvey! Ky is also the host of Totally Lit, a great Australian bookish podcast. If you haven't listened to it yet, we highly recommend you add it to your queue. Ky and Renata talk kid's books, family, and if turtles would show up on time to a party. Easy Peasy (picture book) Author:                Ky Garvey Illus...

Bethany Loveridge is a kidlit community member, and creator of LoveOZMG  As an expert on Australian middle grade it was only right that she bring us a middle grade book she LOVES - Jack Henseleit's The Vampire Knife from his Witching Hours series! Renata and Betty talk kidlit, spooky middle grade and if Betty's ever said hello to a wobbegong. The Witching Hours Book One: The Vampire Knif...

This week's episode is a different sort! And we don't mean we're polishing the vegetables. Renata chats with Karen about kids books, mental health, and Karen and her husband Steve put on a radio style pantomime of Andy & Ghost Boy! It's a pantomime special! Steve is a kid's book writer just like Karen! It's a two for one deal.  Andy & Ghost Boy (junior fiction...

It's our first kid reader episode!  Squinky brings us the glorious picture book Piano Fingers by Caroline Magerl!  But first she talks about school, her WEIRD family, and what animal is the noodle of the sea. Book:                                      Piano Fingers (picture book) Author & Illustrator:     Caroline Magerl Publisher:                            Walker Books Australia It migh...

It's finally time for the first episode! Renata and Rory discuss the magic of kid's books and how many toes he's got.  Then they chat about his new picture book, Book Week Bear!  Book Week Bear (picture book) Author:              Rory H. Mather Illustrator:       Ruth-Mary Smith  Publisher:        Scholastic Absolutely nothing strange happens at the end of this episode... It's...