The first Crichton Award was announced in 1988. Wallace Raymond Crichton left an financial legacy to Children's Book Council of Australia, Victoria Branch, to recognise and award new Australian children's book illustrators.
Formerly the Crichton Award, as of 2019, the award is known as the CBCA Award for New Illustrator, and is party of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards.
'With a strong message of interconnectedness, hope and empowerment, This Small Blue Dot follows a little girl exploring the big and small things in life. From contemplating our place on this 'blue dot' to the best Italian, Chinese and Indian desserts, the book provides a broader, more inclusive view of who we are, where we come from and where our dreams may take us. Delivering big lessons with playful humour, the precocious young narrator shares her take on nature and the environment, wisdom from elders, broccoli, embracing difference and the power of imagination. This Small Blue Dot captures not only lessons on life but also the sense of fun and strangeness that comes with being a member of the human family on planet Earth.' (Publication summary)
'Baby Business tells the story of the baby smoking ceremony that welcomes baby to country. The smoke is a blessing – it will protect the baby and remind them that they belong. This beautiful ritual is recounted in a way young children will completely relate to.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.