AustLit

'The Butterfly Garden is an entertaining introduction to the life cycle of a butterfly – played out by a fat caterpillar, a hungry kookaburra and a supporting cast of beautiful butterflies. Spare and simple, The Butterfly Garden also weaves in the idea of how the kookaburra may have got his laugh. Fern Martins illustrations are a mix of strong colour and transluscent beauty. Her stained-glass interpretations of the cocoon at its various stages show its ephemeral quality in a joyful and fluid way. This feel-good board book for Early Childhood will bring a smile to all readers.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An exciting adventure set in the rugged Kimberley region, Dead Man's Gold draws on the legends of the Australian outback, featuring treasure hunting, droving, gold prospecting — and ghosts.

'Billy Stone rides out one morning, headed for the cattle muster at Black Hills Station, but a stop at the waterhole in No-Man's Gorge leads to some startling discoveries. A skeleton, a silver pistol and a treasure map take him on a wild ride full of twists and turns.

'Billy's bush skills and the guidance of a mysterious gold prospector, known only as "the old timer", help him to track down the treasure and outwit the likes of wiley One Arm Jack who would trick Billy out of what is rightfully his.

'In Dead Man's Gold, earthy illustrations using mixed media including watercolour, pencil and ink help tell the story, and bridge the gap between children's picture books and upper primary readers.' (From the publisher's website.)