Magic Beach named Australia’s best children’s picture book

Theguardian reports Magic Beach by Alison Lester has won Guardian Australia’s poll to find Australia’s best children’s picture book of all time. More than 100,000 votes were cast after polling opened on 27 January, and aside from the first day, when Possum Magic by Mem Fox and illustrator Julie Vivas took an early lead, Magic Beach was the most voted-for book every other day.

With the recurring line "at our beach, at our magic beach", Lester’s rhyming picture book from 1990 follows the different adventures children can have on a day at the beach and is illustrated in her watercolour style. Lester was told about her win while at the very same beach in Walkerville South, Victoria, that inspired the book and said: "That is fabulous news – and how amazing it is that I am at Magic Beach while you are telling me." She thanked everyone who voted and said she was "very, very thrilled." On the final day of voting, Magic Beach won with 2,557 votes, almost 800 ahead of Possum Magic on 1,782.

Where is the Green Sheep?

Australia, Walkerville South, Victoria