'This handsome volume is remarkable in several ways. First it marks the 80th birthday of its creator, Robert Ingpen, who already has two books listed for publication in 2016. Secondly, it is a book about his books, nearly 100 of them, and Robert is still hard at work on them.' (Introduction)

'Immediately evident from the cover and endpapers, Counting Through the Day is beautifully constructed, from Anna Pignataro's inviting pencil watercolour, gouche, and vintage fabric and felt collage to Margaret Hamilton's careful word choice and structure.' (Introduction)

'A simple excursion for a family of ducks very quickly becomes an amusing and clever vehicle for a non threatening introduction to counting.' (Introduction)

'Cecile is the youngest of a family of five mice. While her four sisters go to the market to sell their produce, Cecile stays home and cooks for their return.' (Introduction)

'There is no doubt that this is an Australian family, celebrating an Australian Christmas. Dawson's charming and colourful cartoons of a suburban celebration abound in clues : Dad and the kids in thongs and shorts; neighborhood gatherings on the lawn and around the barbie; and Christmas lunch, including prawns, en plein air.' (Introduction)

'Nicki Greenberg's third installment in the adventures (or misadventures) of Ruby the Reindeer does not disappoint. Once again, Ruby the precocious sister of the famous Rudolf, is causing consternation.' (Introduction)

'There can never be too many pirate picture books, and Captain Sneer the Buccaneer will make a wonderful edition to any pirate themed lesson or story-time kit. The delightful catchy rhyming verse begs to be read aloud and is the perfect length for reading aloud to a group of preschoolers or younger primary school students.' (Introduction)

' From Gus Gordon who gave us Wendy the chicken with attitude and the New York romance of a heart-sick singing moose and a lonely alligator oboist (Herman and Rosie) comes a wistful French-flavoured tale about a life limited by embarrassment.' (Introduction)

'Even young children of the exceptionally timid variety will find it difficult to be scared by the monsters in this book: the furry Gobbeldygook, whose jagged teeth are forever affixed in a disarming smile and who is initially spooked by the appearance of the other, a hybrid of Kermit the Frog and a gangly alien.' (Introduction)

'The author of this grim account of a bushfire actually knows firsthand what it's like: he ran for safety with his Oma when he was just eleven years old during the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983. Adam Wallace has written the story as if he was the fire itself.' (Introduction).

'A compilation of intriguing and amusing stories which amuse, frighten, delight and tantalise is offered in this book. The stories are divided into six groups : Mythical Creatures, Mysterious locations, Haunted Places, UFO Sightings, Bizarre Disappearances and Strange Happenings. Each group contains about half a dozen stories, some of which will be familiar to readers, while others will be wholly unknown.' (Introduction)

'It's the 1930's in Australia and the O'Casey family is feeling the pinch of the Depression. Daniel, Adelaide and Lydia's father has lost his job and cannot find another in their town, so he takes to the road to look for work. Daniel is now the man of the family and tries to stay out of trouble, though it isn't easy with his friend Bede only too willing to drag him into it. As Daniel tries to navigate the world without his father, and with an ever-shrinking family income, he learns the importance of honesty and the real value of family.' (Introduction)

Ellyse Perry, aged twelve, loves to play sport. Will she be able to handle the challenges of high school and still find time for all her sports? Life is more complex now with extra homework, social occasions, a timetable mix-up and Ms Parkes won't let her on the school cricket team because she thinks Ellyse is too short! Will cricket mee all her sporting needs?' (Introduction)

'We haven't heard much from Paul Jennings since his Don't Look Now series and it's nice to see a novel from him after all this time. Illustrated by Craig Smith, this is a charming read that addresses loneliness and isolation in children as well as embracing the symptoms of his uniqueness.' (Introduction)