AustLit

'It’s Christmastime, but Flick and Birdie are missing their Granny Aggie. To cheer them up, Mum and Dad invite the neighbours over to decorate gingerbread houses. All is going well until Mrs Mortlake brings up Christmas wishes, giving baby Birdie all the wrong ideas.

'How can Flick spread the joy of Christmas when a gingerbread person is biting the guests?' (Publication summary)

'Baby Lou likes trying new food.

'As little Lou grows, so does the menu.

'Mashed beans. Rainbow fruit. Buttered toast.

'Some foods are soft and some foods are squishy, but all are safe for Baby Lou.

'Told in rhyming text and covering early-learning concepts such as colour and texture, this little book is perfect for encouraging tiny fingers to explore and young minds to develop.' (Publication summary)

'How is Flick going to hide a rainbow cat and a dancing dog from everyone?

'At the Pet Play Date, Flick and her little sister, Birdie, are helping local seniors group The Busybodies raise money for animals in need. There are some special pets waiting to find their fur-ever homes. But things turn wild when Birdie wishes to make the animals even more special in the hope that they will be adopted.

'How is Flick going to keep a rainbow cat and a dancing dog a secret when a pesky photographer is snapping lots of pics?' (Publication summary)

'Flick's got more than a running race to worry about when her little sister Birdie's in a wishing mood. How can she keep everything under control and avoid their secret getting out?

'It's school sports day and Flick is ready to race! So is Dad. He's been training for the parents versus teachers event. There will even be a news crew filming the day. But excitement often leads to baby Birdie making wishes and soon Flick's got more than a running race to worry about.

'How can she make sure her team wins fair and square when Birdie starts meddling with the most important event of the day?' (Publication summary) 

'A delightful picture book that celebrates the joy of young children trying to catch their shadows - from the creators of CBCA Honour Book When Billy was a Dog and Puddle Hunters.

'On sunshiny mornings, we go shadow catching.

'Inside, outside, in our home and in our neighbourhood, shadows dance around us from morning through to night.  

'Our shadows are so tall, then small, then tall again in sunlight, lamplight and even in the moonlight. 

'A wonderful picture book about playfulness and the joy of light and movement.' (Publication summary)

'Imagine if your baby sister could make wishes come true...The second book in a funny, magical new series for early readers.

'It's a big day. Flick is leading book club for the very first time. It doesn't help that her little sister is super cranky. Birdie is sick of being told she's not big enough to do things. She's making lots of silly wishes and being big is one of them.

'How can Flick do a good job at book club when there's a giant baby Birdie in the library?' (Publication summary)

'The first book in a magical and mischievous new series for early readers from beloved author Allison Rushby.

'Imagine if your baby sister could make wishes come true...

'Flick has just found out her little sister has a special gift. Birdie has wished for a super-fabulous unicorn party and it has magically appeared in their backyard! There's a rainbow slide made out of sour straps (surprisingly slippery), a ball pit full of marshmallows (never sticky), and a real-life unicorn (that poops cupcakes, of course).

'How can Flick stop the nosy next-door neighbour, Mrs Mortlake, finding out about her sister's magical gift when there's a super-fabulous party going on?' (Publication summary)

'A heartwarming picture book about community, sustainability and how one neighbour’s rubbish is another’s treasure.

'Ella’s house is full of things... useless things! At least that’s what she and Dad think. But when they decide to have a clean-up day, something very curious happens. Maybe what is useless to them is treasure to someone else?' (Publication summary)

'All aboard the train party! This delightful rhyming picture book captures all the fun of a preschooler’s train-themed birthday party at a miniature railway park.

'This delightful rhyming picture book captures all the fun of a birthday at a miniature railway park.

'Red, blue and green,

yellow and black.

Here come the trains!

Clickety-clack.

'All aboard the train party!' (Publication summary)

'Hi! I'm Eve.
'I live at a roadhouse in the Nullarbor. We don't get many visitors. But today my cousin Will is coming. We'll have so much fun!'  (Publication summary)

'Lemonade Jones - a feisty girl with a lot of fizz! A warm, funny story for the beginning reader about the girl who likes to ask lots of questions and does NOT like rules.

A haunted house. A giant rainbow slide. And delicious donuts from Clark Dark's dad's donut van. Lemonade Jones's school fete is going to be as sparkly and fun as a shook-up bottle of fizzy drink. 

Most exciting of all is the Year One Mum Band. Lemonade Jones has talked her mum into being the lead singer, and everyone knows that the lead singer is the star. 

This is going to be the greatest school fete ever!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

''Can I please, please, please have a dog?' asked Billy. 'Would you walk it every day and wash it if it got dirty?' 'I would, I promise!' said Billy. Billy wants a dog. He really really really wants one. Billy's parents aren't so sure. So one morning, Billy takes matters into his own paws.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'There are a lot of rules that don't interest Lemonade Jones. No running in the classroom, not even in an emergency. Dangerous animals should be in cages. No biting. (Not even your worst enemy.) But it's especially hard to stick to the rules when you're making life loud and exciting. And Lemonade Jones likes it when loud and exciting things happen. Two delightful stories about Lemonade Jones—a feisty girl with a lot of fizz!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When the rain stops it's time to go puddle hunting. Ruby and Banjo and Mum go up the street, and into the park, over the bridge and down to the river flats where the puddles lie waiting . . . Splosh it, Ruby! Splosh it, Banjo! Splosh it, Mum! A glorious celebration of splashing and squelching all the way home. This beautiful book captures the eternal delight of young children splashing about in puddles and experimenting with language.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A delightful rhyming picture book that celebrates all the special relationships and fun-filled activities in a child’s life, their special bonds with parents, grandparents, cousins, neighbours and pets, as well as all the wonderful fun-filled days they enjoy together: from beach and baking days, to cycling and footy-kicking or simply lazy days. This is a joyous, accessible picture book perfect for sharing with children.' (Publication summary)

'Sam likes to pull things apart and put them back together, and think about how things work. But he is sometimes so busy doing this, he forgets his chores on the family farm.

'Then one day he creates something truly wonderful . . .

'An inspirational story about discovery, invention and the importance of dreams.' (Publication summary)

'Some babies have a mum and a dad. Some babies have a mum, and a dad who lives elsewhere. Some babies have two mums. Or two dads. Our baby has a mum and a dad and a big sister – me!

'Babies come in all shapes and sizes, and from all sorts of families. Some babies have milky mouths, snotty noses, tufty hair, or no hair at all. Some babies like going to cafes or to the park. Some like playing at home. Every baby is different, and every one of them is special.' (Publication summary)

'A moving celebration of the Australian outback and the special connection between grandparent and grandchild.

'Eve thought that living in the middle of nowhere was better than living anywhere else in the world...

'Only one thing made Eve sad. She hadn't seen Nan since they left the city long ago.

'Eve lives in a roadhouse in the middle of the Nullabor and when her Nan visits one day, Eve shows her all the things that are special about where she lives.' (Publication summary)

Baby Beats is a good way to introduce young children to different types of noises, musical instruments and group play.

Let s play music, make a beat. Clap your hands and stamp your feet.

• This is a vibrant picture book feature beautiful illustrations by award-winning author/illustrator Karen Blair.
• Karen has used a combination of language and sounds to create a simple story that will engage younger readers.
• Baby Beats is a companion title to Baby Animal Farm (2012). (Publication abstract)