AustLit

'Lara had always wished she was a dog, and one day, just for a short time, she actually became one. This is how it happened.

'In a tall mulberry brick terrace house on the harbour that Lara explores while her mother cleans, Lara meets Pierre, a boy about her age with a beautiful antique puppet theatre. With his puppets, he tells her a story about a boy whose family has been eaten by wolves. The boy is lost. He needs to find his grandmother. Lara takes the part of a dog but, suddenly, she can no longer tell where she ends and Dog begins. Or is she Wolf? Caught up in Pierre's story, Lara has to fight to protect her new friend but also her identity - and to help Pierre find his home.

'Pierre's Not There is a lyrical, captivating, imaginative and highly original story that can be read on many levels.' (Publication summary)

'An unconventional, every-kid picture book that has the potential to inspire the next generation of readers to protect our oceans.

'What happens when a jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag she mistakes for a jelly-boy? Jelly-Boy is different. He is big and strong. And not as wobbly as the other Jelly-boys. By the time Jelly-Girl discovers the dangerous truth about her new friend, it may already be too late. This is an inventive approach to tackling a conservation issue that is plaguing our world: too much plastic in the ocean. Told in a kid-friendly and humorous way, this is a story with the potential to encourage dialogue around an important issue.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Once upon a time a boy was born.
He laughed. He kicked.
He grew.
He wondered, and had many dreams.

When a boy leaves home, he meets a peddler of dreams, the like of which dreams the boy could never have imagined. But these gleaming dreams come at a terrible cost.

The cost of truth. The cost of his family. The cost of his self identity.

Only the healing power of regret, determination and unconditional love can reverse the nightmare.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A beautiful anthology of new Australian poetry for preschool and primary-aged children, from some of our country's finest writers and illustrators.

'A boat of stars came down tonight
and sailed around my bed -
it sprinkled stardust on my eyes,
put dreams inside my head

'Open worlds of imagination and explore themagic of everyday life with this enchanting new collection of poetry from some of Australia's most-loved writers and illustrators.

'Perfect for the classroom and the home, A Boat of Stars will bring a love of language, rhythm and rhyme to every child.' (Publication Summary) 

'A romp through both the alphabet and the world of folk tale! Sophie Masson’s lively verse gathers together a dazzling range of folklore, made vividly contemporary with Chris Nielsen's striking artwork.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Ponk is a flightless bird, but he chooses to live at the top of a tree because of the exciting view. As often as he loses balance and falls, he climbs straight back up again. Ponk's friends find him a less ambitious place to live, but the lower branches have no view. So Ponk returns to the top and clings on to his twig . . . and doesn't fall! Driven by curiosity, his friends follow, with hilarious results!' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Ali Berber is a young merchant, keen to impress the King of Alhambra with the amazing flavour his salt brings to food. The king is impressed – until Ali’s forty grains of salt disappear. Now, instead of being rewarded, Ali is in danger of being beheaded! Can he solve the mystery of the disappearing salt before it is too late?' (Publication summary)