AustLit

'A timeless tale of tip-tapping click-clacking delight.

'Wonderful Shoes is a joyful celebration of everyday play, through the eyes of our tiniest humans, who know exactly where to find the best toys in the world!

'Delightful verse and vibrant illustrations shine a light on the timeless tip-tapping click-clacking fun to be had, when little feet find big shoes.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Hitch a ride on the Albatross Express and travel the globe with Plume: World Explorer. This exciting new series for little ones celebrates culture, diversity and the natural wonders of our world. Plume is not your typical Antarctic penguin. He loves to cook, read, knit sweaters and ice skate, and he sports a yellow plume on top of his head. Plume is bored of black and white, and of shuffling and snoozing on icebergs. He craves color, adventure, excitement! He wants to seize the world he's discovered between the pages of his fantastical Antarctic library (the largest in the Southern Hemisphere). Plume's greatest hope is to grow the hearts and minds of anyone who joins him in boarding the Albatross Express. Through his travels, children will engage with themes such as friendship, acceptance and the wellbeing of our planet. This is a book series for our times.' (Publication summary)

'Now more than ever, children are encouraged to value and appreciate our world. I Heart the World is a beautifully illustrated romp around the planet, celebrating the people, cultural delights, natural and man-made wonders, and the breathtaking flora and fauna, that occupy our land, sea and sky.

'Organised into chapters for each world continent, Tania's illustrations will have any child or parent poring over the pages for many hours, and learning great facts about places near and far.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Did you know that, in 2009, a massive dust storm in Australia blew red dust and sand all the way to New Zealand, where it turned the glaciers pink? That, in 1899, Cyclone Mahina plucked dolphins out of the ocean in Far North Queensland and deposited them on cliff tops? That it snowed at Uluru in 1997?

'In Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather, readers are introduced to the wide range of weather in Australia, with bite-size pieces of information presented alongside graphic illustrations to entice young readers. Older readers will enjoy the detailed explanations about everything weather, from what causes certain phenomena to reading weather maps, exploring the climate of the past and preparing for the climate of the future.

'With sections about Australia's extreme weather and the effects of climate change, Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather gently introduces young readers to the challenges of a warming planet and encourages them to be mindful of impact their actions have on the environment.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Annoying, bored, creative and daring, AlphaKid is every kid — at their best (kind, loving), worst (impatient, unreasonable) and in between (smelly, odd). Packed with heart and humour, kids of all ages will smirk and titter at this A to Z of antics, from dawn to dusk, chaos to calm.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hi! I’m Matilda! Today there’s a festival at the Japanese Embassy. That’s where my friend Hansuke lives. We’ll have lots of fun. But Hansuke is going back to Japan soon. How will I be able to say goodbye?' (Publication summary)

'High in a tree house live two very best friends. Evie and Pog. A girl and a dog.

'Evie is six years old. She likes reading and baking and rolling on the daisy-spot grass.

'Pog is a pug. He is two and likes to drink tea and read the newspaper. He also likes fixing things.' (Publication summary)

'Evie and Pog are very best friends. They live in a tree house over a daisy-spot lawn.

'Evie is six years old. She likes books and cake and playing with her friend Noah.

'Pog is a pug. He is two and likes to drink tea and read the newspaper. He also likes vegetables.

'But most of all, Evie and Pog love to have fun. Join them, and some very cute puppies, on three more adventures - Reno Rumble, Classroom Contraption and Puppy Park!'   (Publication summary)

'High in a tree house live two very best friends. One is a girl and one is a dog. And everyone knows them as Evie and Pog.

'Evie is six years old. She likes knitting and jumping and books and cake.

'Pog is a pug. He is two and likes to drink tea and read the newspaper.

'Evie and Pog also love to have fun! Join them as they take off on three happy adventures - Puppy School Mess, School Play Drama and Cake Stall Chaos.' (Publication summary)

'Did you know that platypus have retractable webbing on their hind feet to enable an easy transition from swimming to digging? That kangaroos can’t sweat and that the cassowary has no tongue?

'In Fauna - Australia’s Most Curious Creatures, readers are constantly introduced to facts that delight, amaze and induce sheer wonder at the clever design and adaptability of our much-loved native fauna.

'The information on each individual species is presented in small ‘bites’ to hold the interest of younger readers, while the information taken in total gives a comprehensive summary of each species, including breeding and feeding habits, physical characteristics, habitat and other unique and quirky features.

'Fauna also has a strong conservation message with an ‘extinction roll call’ and a rating for the vulnerability of endangered species.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ivy wakes with the birds. She flutters, she flits...then takes flight into the endless blue of imaginative play — foraging for nectar, pecking in the sunshine, splashing the day away. Introducing an aviary of beautiful birds to little ones, Ivy Bird is a celebration of nature, friendship, and the love and comfort found in feathering the nest.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In This Is Home, much-loved author Jackie French has gathered a poem for every child and every mood. What do you feel like doing today? Sit beside a bush campfire with Oodgeroo Noonuccal, watch people going by with Henry Lawson, float away with Alison Lester, learn to read with Andy Griffiths or be brave with Shaun Tan. 

Ideal for sharing with the whole family, this extensively illustrated edition brings together old favourites and sure-to-be new favourites in an indispensable addition to children's bookshelves. From poems that whisper to poems that roar, from words of tranquillity and heartbreak to those of the witty and absurd, there is something within these pages to make everyone feel at home.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'TO US SHE IS MAY GIBBS, CREATOR OF SNUGGLEPOT & CUDDLEPIE.

'BUT TO HER FAMILY, SHE WAS KNOWN AS 'MAMIE'.

'In a land far away, where fairies, pixies and elves live deep in the woods, a baby girl is born. Her parents call her Mamie.

'Mamie loves to sing and dance and paint with her magical woodland friends. Her days are like a fairy tale.

'But when Mamie's family move to Australia, she misses green fields drenched with rain. The hot skies and dusty plains of her new home turn Mamie's world upside down. Will she ever find new fairy friends in this strange and beautiful land?

'From the talented Tania McCartney comes an exquisite book that celebrates the life of renowned children's author and illustrator, May Gibbs.' (Publication summary)

'Kids love rocks. They also love to learn. The Gum Family Finds Home brings these two truths together in a delightful Australian story that introduces concepts of geology to a young audience. But this is not a fact-heavy schoolbook. It is essentially a charming story about home and family that celebrates the stunning Australian landscape and its flora and fauna.

'The book’s action plays out through a family of koalas, the Gum family, who hitch up their caravan and set off to search for the perfect home. The idea that animals might go travelling to see the sights, or indeed want to find a more better home, creates a link between the reader and the exciting adventures the characters are experiencing. 

'The Gum Family Finds Home uses storytelling to introduce the natural world to children as the Gum family travels the country. The sheer variety and imposing grandeur of Australian geological formations are captured, from Uluru to King’s Canyon, from gorges and limestone pillars to precariously placed boulders and sweeping plains. These are introduced in the story through minimal text and lavish illustrations, then extended in a separate section providing accessible information and photographic images. This enables a parent, teacher or older reader to satisfy the further interest in geology that the story is sure to stimulate.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Sometimes the world is so busy that we forget to slow down and notice things. See Hear reminds you to do just that: remember there is magic all around us.

'A sequel to the critically-acclaimed Smile Cry, this charming and whimsical story recognises the importance of sensory engagement, a vital factor of child development. In an innovative flip-format, it invites children to pay attention to what their senses are telling them. From spotting shapes in clouds to hearing ‘hot pan sizzles’ as a favourite meal is prepared, experience a sensory adventure and see what magic you might find.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson was a man of many talents and accomplishments. In his lifetime, he fulfilled the roles of poet, lyricist, journalist, correspondent, speaker, author, clerk, solicitor, ambulance driver, soldier, sportsman, jockey, horse vet, bushman, farmer and radio commentator. He was a fine sportsman and loved hunting and fishing, but his great love was horses and the Australian bush.

'He travelled the world and lived a life of great creative passion, and his story is something that intrigues both adults and children alike, leaving a cultural legacy that continues to this day through his books, his poetry and, of course, Waltzing Matilda. This charming picture book for young children is a celebration of a man who became a world-traveller, hobnobbing with the glittering literati, but who still remained true to his roots, with a lifelong love of the Australian bush something that called to him throughout his life. Children can join Banjo, his family, dog and neighbourhood friends, as they recount the life of Banjo Paterson with an afternoon of backyard playtime that truly typifies childhood.

'Illustrations by the award-winning Christina Booth are age-appropriate, active and heart-warming, making this impressive biography accessible to even the youngest of children. ' (Publication summary)

'It’s Christmas Eve and the world is buzzing with busy. With baubles to hang, shimmer to drape and scrumptious treats to prepare, enjoy this peek inside the festive homes of animals all over the world. From deer baking gingerbread to elephants gobbling candy canes and ducks snapping crackers, join these adorable creatures as they celebrate the togetherness that is Christmas.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.