AustLit

'When Ellie is very little, she finds a newborn dragon fresh from the egg on a supermarket shelf, and calls him Scratch. He is quite the sweetest thing she has ever seen! From that day on, Ellie and Scratch do everything together. Ellie's mum and her teacher can't see her fiery friend, but all her friends can - and, over the years, Ellie's dragon grows to be big, house-trained, and very affectionate. And Ellie is growing, too...

'A moving story about the wonders of imagination and the nature of growing up from one of Australia's most revered bookmakers.' (Publication summary) 

'This celebratory picture book from Frané Lessac shines a light on beloved nighttime traditions under the starry skies of North America.

'Beneath a blanket of stars, crowds cheer at Little League games, campers share fireside stories, bull-riders hold on tight, and sled dogs race through falling snow — all under the Milky Way. Vivid artwork, engaging verses, and facts about the United States and Canada will captivate readers of all ages in a joyful offering from Frané Lessac.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ollie was small – like a pickling jar or a shoe box. Augustus was big – like a fridge or a table. They did most things together, including cycling, painting, dressing up, digging (Ollie's favourite thing) and stick collecting (Augustus's favourite thing). But Ollie is about to start school, and he has one major concern: who will keep Augustus company? He decides to search for a playmate for his enormous companion, but good friends are hard to find, especially for your best mate. In the end, Augustus shows Ollie that he doesn't mind waiting for him and that he can enjoy his time at school, worry-free.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The jacket was no ordinary jacket. It was soft, like dandelion fluff. It was warm, like the afternoon sun. It was comforting, like a hug from your favourite teddy. In The Jacket, a child's favourite piece of clothing, which she outgrows, passes on to her little sister and then is repurposed for a new life. This is a heartwarming story about growing up and learning to let go of the things you become attached to in childhood.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'As ngua rises, Bunjil soars over mountain ash, flying higher and higher as the wind warms. Below, Birrarung begins its long winding path down to palem warreen. Wilam – home. 

'Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly joins award-winning picture book duo Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy to tell the Indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra river, from its source to its mouth; from its pre-history to the present day.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'You can only see my tail, what insect am I? Heads and Tails: Insects is a playful follow up book to the highly successful Heads and Tails.

'At first we can only see their tails. Some clear, simple clues add detail as we learn more about each one. Now, can you guess the insect that each tail belongs to?' (Publication summary)

'Steve is a gorilla who lives at a zoo in Rio. In the evenings, he listens to jazz on the radio with his friend, Antonio the zookeeper. One night, Steve is feeling a little lonely and so he lifts the latch of his cage door and goes off to search for Antonio. At the tram stop outside the zoo, he finds a hat — the perfect disguise. Steve climbs aboard a tram and rides down the hillside, past the favelas and into the city. It is carnival time in Rio! Fireworks explode in the sky and sequinned dancers shimmy along the avenue. ‘Feliz Carnaval’ cry the sambistas. Steve follows the sounds of a saxophone and discovers his friend Antonio playing in a quartet at the Blue Jaguar Jazz Club. When a beautiful dancer steps on to the dance floor, Steve takes her by the hand. They twirl and twist to the music until suddenly, Steve’s hat falls off to reveal he is a gorilla! Calmly, the dancer puts Steve’s hat back on his head and they spin this way and that way, this way and that way, all the way to dawn.' (Publication summary)

'This hilarious tie-in edition of the smash-hit television series "Little Lunch" has three bite-sized stories for young readers.

'This is what happened during Little Lunch: Rory forgot his playlunch and did something that shocked everyone, Battie freaked out because he thought he'd ruined Grandparents Day and Melanie held a cake stall to help homeless puppies, but it didn't really help anyone! A lot can happen in fifteen minutes.' (Publication summary)

'It is Christmastime, 1914, and World War I rages. A young French soldier named Pierre had quietly left his regiment to visit his family for two days, and when he returned, he was imprisoned. Now he faces execution for desertion, and as he waits in isolation, he meditates on big questions: the nature of patriotism, the horrors of war, the joys of friendship, the love of family, and how even in times of danger, there is a whole world inside every one of us. And how sometimes that world is the only refuge. Its publication coinciding with the centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, this moving and sparely narrated story, based on true events, is reenacted in fascinating miniature scenes that convey the emotional complexity of the tale. Notes from the creators explore the innovative process and their personal connection to the story.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Amos starts counting sheep, there’s one thing he doesn’t quite count on … How’s he supposed to sleep when the sheep land – THUD! THUD! – in his bedroom?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'On a roof, as wet as a seal, as grey as a puddle, Cat was rumbling, a rumbly purr. What does Cat want most? Feather boas? Pretty pink shoelaces? A boatful of fish under a tiny tin sail – or perhaps something much more valuable? Affectionate and evocative, Maya and Cat follows a child’s kindly impulse to an unexpected conclusion.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Go Go is allowed to buy the most beautiful shoes ever, she decides she will wear them EVERYWHERE!

'Even to the creek, where she and her brothers go adventuring.

'But - Oh no, Go Go! - that's when a terrible thing happens ...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Duck can see that something is falling from the sky. He tries to warn the other farmyard animals by telling them to "Duck!" but they won’t listen…' (Source: Publisher's blurb) 

'The night is young and there is hunting to be done. An exciting new addition to the narrative non-fiction series Nature Storybooks, about dingoes.

'Can you see her? There – deep in the stretching shadows – a dingo. Her pointed ears twitch. Her tawny eyes flash in the low-slung sun. Dingo listens. Dusk is a busy time. Dusk is the time for hunting. This lyrical non-fiction picture book is written by award-winning author Claire Saxby and stunningly illustrated by fine artist Tannya Harricks.'  (Publication summary)

Welcome to the world of Gecko. He warms up on the sunbaked rocks in the evening before hunting for food. A cockroach makes a yummy snack. Watch out! A hawk is hunting! An exciting introduction to one of the most varied species of lizard on the planet. (Source: back cover)

'What's the best fun in the whole village? Riding the patchwork bike we made! A joyous picture book for children by award-winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke.

'When you live in a village at the edge of the No-Go Desert, you need to make your own fun. That's when you and your brothers get inventive and build a bike from scratch, using everyday items like an old milk pot (maybe mum is still using it, maybe not) and a used flour sack. You can even make a numberplate from bark, if you want. The end result is a spectacular bike, perfect for going bumpity-bump over sandhills, past your fed-up mum and right through your mud-for-walls home.

'A delightful story from multi-award-winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke, beautifully illustrated by street artist Van T Rudd.' (Publication summary)

From Ross Watkins, the illustrator of The Boy Who Grew Into a Tree, and Liz Anelli, comes this moving picture book about family, the failings of memory and the strength of love. Told in stunning prose, with poignant artwork, this book is a celebration of what we hold dearest.

Flossie Birdwhistle is the Turnkey at London's Highgate Cemetery. As Turnkey, Flossie must ensure all the souls in the cemetery stay at rest. This is a difficult job at the best of times for a twelve-year-old ghost, but it is World War II and each night enemy bombers hammer London. Even the dead are unsettled. When Flossie encounters the ghost of a German soldier carrying a mysterious object, she becomes suspicious. What is he up to? Before long, Flossie uncovers a sinister plot that could result in the destruction of not only her cemetery, but also her beloved country. Can Flossie stop him before it is too late? 

Source: Back cover.

'A powerful, captivating story about Alice, who is reaching out to express herself through her beautiful-broken words, and Manny who is running to escape his past. When they meet they find the tender beginnings of love and healing.

'Alice is fifteen, with hair as red as fire and skin as pale as bone, but something inside her is broken. She has acquired brain injury, the result of an assault, and her words come out slow and slurred. But when she writes, heartwords fly from her pen. She writes poems to express the words she can't say and leaves them in unexpected places around the town. Manny was once a child soldier. He is sixteen and has lost all his family. He appears to be adapting to his new life in this country, where there is comfort and safety, but at night he runs, barefoot, to escape the memory of his past. When he first sees Alice, she is sitting on the rusty roof of her river-house, looking like a carving on an old-fashioned ship sailing through the stars.' (Publication summary)