In this classic Australian picture book, a dingo catches a wombat and wants to cook him in a stew. But all the other bush animals have a plan to save their friend. They trick the dingo into using mud, feathers, flies, bugs and gumnuts in his wombat stew, and the result is a stew the dingo will never forget!
Age range 5 to 8 Kindness is like a boomerang -- if you throw it often, it comes back often. Kookoo the Kookaburra is the second heartwarming morality tale - set within the cultural context of theDreamtime -- by Queensland teacher Gregg Dreise. In the same vein as his first book Silly Birds (MagabalaBooks 2014) Dreise tells the story of Kookoo, a kind and well-loved kookaburra who is famous for entertainingthe other bush creatures with his funny stories. Everyone knows Kookoo has a special gift because he cantell funny stories about the other animals without hurting their feelings. However, when Kookoo runs out ofkind stories he turns to teasing and making fun of his friends' differences.Refusing to listen to the sage advice of his uncle, Kookoo gradually alienates all his friends until he findshimself alone and ignored by the other animals. When he finally listens to the sounds of his own laughterechoing around the bush and realises it has become an unhappy sound, Kookoo is forced to remember hisuncle's words and change his ways -- kindness is like a boomerang -- if you throw it often, it comes backoften.
"Written when our ancestors had a strong faith in the worth of facts as educative agents, and many educators believed that children's books should not only be morally improving, but should also set an example by offering only plain truth rather than mendacious flights of fancy. It gives a rare and authentic glimpse of life in the early years of Australia using the "catechism" technique which was much used for most of the nineteenth century, particularly in works aiming to disseminate knowledge. Within its limitations, the book does repesent a real attempt to communicate to children some of qualities of the Australian scene, and, within the self-imposed constraints of "truth", to offer relevant stories of high adventure." -- Introduction.
The bestselling Wombat celebrates Christmas with his friends. Has he remembered everyone's present? 'Tis the night before Christmas, and deep in his burrow, Wombat is busy getting ready for tomorrow. The stockings are hung by the campfire with care, In hopes the Bush Santa soon will be there. Laugh and smile as Wombat searches for the perfect gift to show Emu how much he cares. A fun-filled, beautifully illustrated picture book which celebrates the joy of giving at Christmas - featuring a cast of Aussie wildlife and everyone's favourite wombat.
'Colour my beak blue, that's a risky business if you're not a cockatoo,' squawked Rocky Cocky. 'You'll need a bodyguard.' They trotted and strutted off down the track, round the back of beyong, up the hill and past the black stump, until they bumped into Joanna Goanna. Early one morning, Blossom Possum gets such a fright she thinks the sky is falling down! She has to tell someone, so she sets off with her news. On the way she meets her bush mates. But she also runs into trouble. This retelling of a favourite folktale has a delightful Aussie twist and a refreshingly positive ending. The author has used typically Australian animals to create a cast of quirky characters. Rocky Cocky is a cheeky cockatoo, Echo Gecko is an old hippie lizard, and Toey Joey is a lively young kangaroo.
Worry Monster loves "helping" Archie worry, especially the night before he starts his new school. Archie feels so anxious that his head hurts, his tummy flutters and his heart pounds. He soon realizes the only way to feel better is to make Worry Monster go away. He does his belly breaths and faces facts to challenge his inner fears. Children have the potential to engage and empathise with Archie and Worry Monster both through the text and the subtle gestures and fleeting emotions captured in the beautiful illustrations. Encouraging children to name their anxiety is an evidence-based, current strategy used by psychologists to assist children in separating themselves from their anxiety. Go Away, Worry Monster! gives children this and other useful strategies to cope, showing them how to make their own Worry Monsters leave during stressful periods of their lives, from starting or changing schools, to a change in family dynamics. Created by an author and illustrator passionate about helping children to cope with common emotional difficulties, this is an invaluable, life-changing resource for young children and their parents in guiding emotional development.
This book is based on a story told by Mary Albert, of the Bardi people, to Aboriginal children living in Broome, Western Australia. The illustrations are adapted from their paintings of the story. Mary Albert said, 'Would you like to hear a story from long ago? My mother used to tell me lots of stories, but this story I loved the best, because I loved the birds.'
Age range 6+ What makes a children's book character memorable?Is it their personality, the story they tell or the way they're depicted by theillustrator? Is it that they make us laugh or cry? Or is it that we canidentify with them? Often, even as adults, we can remember what our favouritechildren's book characters said or conjure an image of them in our mind's eye. From Snugglepot and Cuddlepie to the green sheep and Pig the Pug,Australian children's book characters have always delighted the young andyoung-at-heart. Get together with old friends and meet new ones in thislighthearted retrospective of much-loved characters from over a century of Australianillustrated books for children. Many will be delighted to reencounter Albert, the cranky cut-and-come-againmagic pudding, who has fought the puddin' thieves in multiple editions, as wellas across the stage in musical theatre, puppet shows, animated films and opera.Others will be thrilled to see lovable grass tree Grug, who was once describedby The New York Times as the 'Elmo ofDown Under', and who has bustled through over 30 picture books since he firstappeared in Grug in 1979. With such classic characters included alongside newer stars, parents andgrandparents can not only share their favourites, but can also get to know the newercharacters who enchant their children and grandchildren. Today's little oneslove to go searching for Mem Fox and Judy Horacek's green sheep, who won theCBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year Award in 2005. They grump along with NickBland's bear, who has been cranky, itchy, hungry and noisy, to name but a fewof his dispositions. And they giggle at greedy Pig, the pug, who is awfullymean to his flatmate Trevor, but who always gets his comeuppance in the end. All these characters and more showcase the breadth of Australianchildren's books over the last century and give readers of all ages the chanceto get to know their favourite characters a little better.
This is a book for all Australians. Since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was formed in 2017, Thomas Mayo has travelled around the country to promote its vision of a better future for Indigenous Australians. He’s visited communities big and small, often with the Uluru Statement canvas rolled up in a tube under his arm. Through the story of his own journey and interviews with 20 key people, Thomas taps into a deep sense of our shared humanity. The voices within these chapters make clear what the Uluru Statement is and why it is so important. And Thomas hopes you will be moved to join them, along with the growing movement of Australians who want to see substantive constitutional change. Thomas believes that we will only find the heart of our nation when the First peoples – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders – are recognised with a representative Voice enshrined in the Australian Constitution. ‘Thomas’s compelling work is full of Australian Indigenous voices that should be heard. Read this book, listen to them, and take action.’ – Danny Glover, actor and humanitarian