The Australian Library and Information Association and Hardie Grant Children's Publishing proudly present the National Simultaneous Storytime picture book for 2025.
National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual event held by the Australian Library and Information Association. In 2025, the chosen book for National Simultaneous Storytime is The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell.
This heartwarming story follows a truck-driving cat and his human as they navigate themes of immigration, identity, and the search for home. The event brings together children from schools, libraries, and communities across Australia, promoting the importance of literacy and fostering a sense of connection through the shared experience of reading.
Find out more about the National Simultaneous Storytime or register for the event below.
Written by Deborah Frenkel. Illustrated by Danny Snell.
Deborah Frenkel is a writer of books, billboards, and the words on the back of cereal boxes, which to date is probably her most widely read work (and certainly the most crunchy). Her picture books include the award-winning Naturopolis (2022) and The Sydney Harbour Fairy (2023). She's based on Bunurong land, in Melbourne’s Inner West, but spends most of the time squinting at horizons in her imagination.
As a child Danny Snell was a reluctant reader, so it was pictures rather than words that drew him to the wonder of books. Danny went on to study graphic design and illustration at the University of South Australia and he now works as a picture book illustrator and author. His books have won a number of awards including the CBCA Eve Pownall Award, the Environment Award for Children’s Literature, and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award.
Hardie Grant Children's Publishing is the home of innovative, inclusive, and entertaining books from tots to teens. With modern families and children at the core of everything we do, we have built our success on stories of kindness, diversity, resilience and courage to reflect the world we live in, and the world we want to build.
