- Published:
- Friday 9 October 2026
Congratulations Anabelle!
Your design has been chosen to feature on tens of thousands of free book bags given to Prep students in 2027.
Earlier this year, all Prep students were invited to submit an original artwork on the theme "My year of Prep", and today, the winning artwork was announced from more than 300 creative entries.
The design will adorn the free prep bags given to every new Prep student at more than 1,300 public primary schools.
It was chosen for its outstanding creativity and the joy it captured of the students first months at school.
The 2027 Prep bags include five books, plus free resources to support health, wellbeing and safety.
The 5 books included in the 2027 Prep bags are:
- Dear Broccoli – written by Jo Dabrowski and illustrated by Cate James
- Dinosaur in my Pocket – written by Ashleigh Barton and illustrated by Blithe Fielden
- Millie and the Frame of Wonder – written by Phil Cummings and illustrated by Shane Devries
- Naynay and the Mermaid – written by Tasma Walton and illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
- Two Turtles – written by Kiah Thomas and illustrated by Jake A Minton
Teachers helped select these books.
They explore themes such as healthy eating, self-awareness, personal growth and family connection.
To ensure every student can experience the stories, braille editions with tactile illustrations will be provided.
All up, around 65,000 free Prep bags will be delivered to public primary, P-12, language and specialist schools.
Only Labor is delivering for the future of our children’s education.
We’ve built 121 new schools and delivered the highest teacher pay in the county.
Victoria also has the best NAPLAN results in Australia.
For more information, go to vic.gov.au/prep-bags
Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Gabrielle Williams
"Labor knows that every child deserves the best start at school.”
“Victoria has the best NAPLAN results and the best paid teachers in the nation – and we have built 121 new schools.”
"Books open new worlds and help to build a lifelong love of reading in our youngest readers."
Quotes attributable to Member for Kororoit Luba Grigorovitch
"What a proud moment for Anabelle and our local community - bringing a smile to thousands of Preps next year."