AustLit

'What is a Stroogle? To some children, he looks like a strawberry, to others, a colourful chicken that hatched from a purple egg, to others; he's a 'way cool superhero'. Who are his parents? Well, that remains a mystery.'

Source: Author's website.

'Something is not quite right in the garden. The mouse has a tree stump house and Gretel and Grandpa garden gnome live in mushrooms but the Stroogle has no home of his own. He searches until he finds an old tin can but the farmer throws it in the garbage bin with the four friends inside! Before they can escape they are tipped into the garbage truck and carried far away to the rubbish dump.

'When all seems hopeless, Grandpa garden gnome hatches a clever plan to get everyone back to the garden by building a car out of rubbish. The friends all work together to create a a wind powered shoe car, complete with a racing stripe!

'The journey home has a few twists and turns of its own involving three ducklings and a pond. Driving a car with no brakes, the Stroogle and his companions are all lucky to get back in one piece!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Unlike the two previous colourful adventures, this story begins with a cold, frozen world, covered with ice. Spring is due two months ago, but all around lies winter snow. The garden gnomes are turning blue and the mouse's cheese is frozen solid. Only the Stroogle is still warm as he flies along on his sled. Throughout this story the Stroogle searches for a way to warm his frozen friends and to transform winter into spring. A visit to the Fairy Godmother's cave reveals that it will take someone very special to warm things up:

"When winter's chill is here to stay
and snow and ice won't go away
it's only with the warmest heart
that you can make the springtime start.

'This story explores what it means to have a warm heart and a caring spirit and how with a few simple gestures, a grey world can be transformed into a colourful paradise.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Stroogle Sails the Seven Seas begins when the Stroogle discovers an old pirate's map in a bottle. Together with his two friends, Gretel and the mouse, the Stroogle sails off on a raft in search of buried treasure. Along the way he meets the dreaded Pie Rats and after a skirmish onboard a giant pie ship, he is ordered to walk the plank. Luckily Grandpa Garden Gnome arrives just in time to rescue them in his new submarine. The journey continues underwater, in a cave, through a pie fight and off to treasure island.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Golden Dragon is the adorable new character with a major sneezing problem:

The dragon replied, “I am friends with the bees,
but pollen from flowers keeps making me sneeze!”
“I burn half the forest with every AAACHOO!
Oh, what in the world am I going to do?

'After running into a mischievous leprechaun who promises to help them, The Stroogle, the dragon and two comical bumble bees embark on a quest to find three missing ingredients for a medicine to cure the sneeze. Their journey takes them to the top of a wild windy mountain and into a mysterious moonlit castle where secrets await them!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The ratbag Pie Rats make their anticipated return in the Stroogle’s sixth epic adventure, The Stroogle in Space. Six years in the making, this story was inspired by the author’s love of the night sky and presents space facts with a clever dairy twist.

'After receiving a distress call from outer space, the Stroogle blasts off in his homemade rocket on a rescue mission to the moon:

An SOS echoed from high in the heavens;
a cry from the Milk-Bots to come save the day.
"The Pie Rats have landed. Can anyone save us?
They're making a mess of our grand Milky Way!"

'Outnumbered (but never outsmarted) the Stroogle challenges the Pie Rats to the ultimate space showdown; a Milky Way milkshake competition!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.