Luna Roo announced as 2026 NSS story

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has announced Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller (Adam Jackson & Adrian Lloyd, illus by Jake A Minton, Little Book Press) as the National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) book for 2026.

Luna Roo was selected from 84 submissions from publishers around the country, and will be read at 12pm (local time) on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

The story follows rookie captain Luna Roo, who must lead FC Outback in “a thrilling face-off against Bush United,” said the publisher. “Faced with a spider goalkeeper, snakes in attack and bubbling nerves, Luna must trust her skills and her teammates to soar to victory.”

“We chose Luna Roo for NSS because it captures the spirit of rising to a challenge with heart and grit,” said Kellie John, a member of the selection panel and ALIA’s Children and Youth Services Special Interest Group. “Navigating nerves, tricky opponents, and unexpected hurdles reflects the kind of determination kids face every day. It is a powerful celebration of courage, self-belief, and pushing through when things get tough.”

NSS is an annual event held by ALIA. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country to promote the value of reading and literacy.

Little Book Press is the nonprofit publishing arm of early childhood development charity Raising Literacy Australia.

The Truck Cat (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Danny Snell, HGCP) was read to 2,204,658 participants from about 16,632 locations for NSS 2025.

More information about the National Simultaneous Storytime can be found here.

Category: Bookish dates Events Local news