35th Anniversary Edition Magic Beach by Alison Lester

A beautiful hardcover edition to celebrate the 35th anniversary of everyone's all-time favourite Australian beach book, by much-loved author Alison Lester.

Voted Australia's Best Children's Picture Book of all time! (The Guardian poll, 2026)

Imagine a beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, make sandcastles, hunt for treasure, explore rock-pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Come to Magic Beach, where adventure begins...

An Australian classic with over half a million copies sold, Magic Beach epitomises everything we love about childhood summers spent at the beach with family and friends, when everything seems possible and the promise of a book before bedtime is the perfect end to a perfect day.

Magic Beach is a long-standing favourite with Australian children and families for its:
- unforgettable rhyming text
- uniquely Australian setting
- iconic summer beach vibes
- timeless, classic illustrations.

About the Author

Alison Lester grew up on a farm by the sea, and first rode a horse as a baby in her father's arms. Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make them special. Alison is involved in many community art projects and spends part of every year travelling to remote Indigenous communities, using her books to help children and adults write and draw about their own lives.

In 2012, Alison became Australia's first Children's Book Laureate, a position she shared with Boori Monty Pryor. In 2016, she was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for her outstanding achievement in the creation of Australian children's and young adult literature, and in 2018 she became the first children's book writer to win the Melbourne Prize for Literature, for her outstanding contribution to Australian literature and cultural and intellectual life. In 2019, Alison was awarded an Australia Post Legends Award and featured on a stamp, as well as being the recipient of a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List.