AustLit

'Ethel the Penguin's in my class
But she doesn't sit next to me
Miss Ink likes Ethel to sit by herself
She can be a bit lawless you see

'Everyone needs a best friend like Ethel. She's not afraid of teachers. She's not afraid of heights. In fact, she's totally WILD!

'An exuberant story about the vicarious joy of an unruly friend.' (Publication summary)

'A hilarious and charming story about a boy and his fishy friend who do a series of odd jobs for their eccentric neighbours, from an Australian Children's Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop.

'Ursula Dubosarsky was the Australian Children's Laureate 2020-2021

'Hercules Quick wants to be a magnificent magician. He just needs a special box of magic tricks. But the box is expensive, and Hercules doesn't have any money. Luckily, Hercules lives in a big apartment block with Aunt Alligator and his tadpole friend, Sylvie, and he has plenty of neighbours who are willing to pay for his help. Whether it's babysitting for the Elks, spring-cleaning for Queen Claude, or helping Professor Calamari choose the perfect bow tie, no job is too odd for Hercules Quick!

'Join the enterprising Hercules on his neighbourhood adventures as he discovers that sometimes the best magic of all is not a trick.' (Publication summary)

'Hook them on reading for life, with the fully illustrated adventures of Mary and Marcus.

'Contains five hilarious and silly stories, perfect for emerging readers!

'Mary is the happiest panda in the world.
She loves to sing and dance and play the ukulele.
But sometimes things get out of hand!
Lucky she has her best friend, Marcus the snake, to help her out.

'From Australian Children's Laureate Ursula Dubosarsky and award-winning illustrator Andrew Joyner comes five madcap stories about two very different friends.' (Publication summary)

'Hercules Quick dreams of being a magnificent magician. He is saving up to buy a box of magic tricks. Luckily, he has plenty of neighbours who need his help. Whether it's lending a hand to Professor Calamari or doing an out of season spring-clean for Queen Claude, no job is too odd for Hercules.

'Need something done? Ask Hercules Quick. Only ten cents!''A hilarious story about an ordinary boy who does a series of odd jobs for his eccentric neighbours, from the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop. An Australia Reads exclusive story.' (Publication summary)

'The ants are heading out on a very important expedition. What will they need to take with them? It's a wild journey! And in the end, it's the littlest ant who leads the others to discover the most important thing of all. A book about a very special book.'

Source : publication summary

'Lara had always wished she was a dog, and one day, just for a short time, she actually became one. This is how it happened.

'In a tall mulberry brick terrace house on the harbour that Lara explores while her mother cleans, Lara meets Pierre, a boy about her age with a beautiful antique puppet theatre. With his puppets, he tells her a story about a boy whose family has been eaten by wolves. The boy is lost. He needs to find his grandmother. Lara takes the part of a dog but, suddenly, she can no longer tell where she ends and Dog begins. Or is she Wolf? Caught up in Pierre's story, Lara has to fight to protect her new friend but also her identity - and to help Pierre find his home.

'Pierre's Not There is a lyrical, captivating, imaginative and highly original story that can be read on many levels.' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever wished you could fly? Well a boy called Icarus and his father built themselves wings out of feathers and wax. Up they flew into the huge blue sky. But it wasn’t as easy as it looked!

'Here are eleven easy-to-read, exciting and funny plays for children, based on stories from ancient Greek and Roman myths, where all sorts of very strange things can happen! A girl becomes a spider, a statue comes to life, a couple turn into a pair of lions and that’s just a few of the startling transformations. Inspired by the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses, these plays by multi award-winning author Ursula Dubosarsky, with lively illustrations by Amy Golbach, are great fun for group performance, reading aloud, or just curling up by yourself with your eyes wide open, ready to be amazed!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A hilarious and entertaining story about a boy who does a series of odd jobs for his eccentric neighbours, from the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop.

''How much money do I have in my piggy bank?' asked Hercules.
'Actually,' said Aunt Alligator, 'I don't think you have a piggy bank, Hercules.' 

'Hercules sighed. No piggy bank, no money. I need a job, he thought.That's what I need. 

'He got out his paints, his paintbrush and a big piece of plain paper. On the paper, he painted some words.
'
NEED SOMETHING DONE? 
'ASK HERCULES QUICK!' (Publication summary)

'Leaf Stone Beetle is a gentle and charming tale about a leaf, a stone and a beetle whose lives are disrupted by a storm. They lose their communities, their homes and their moorings, but by chance and effort they find solace and new community with each other. 

'In the deftly talented hands of Ursula Dubosarsky, Leaf Stone Beetle is also a meditation on disruption, transience and eternity.'  (Publication summary)

'In Midnight at the Library, critically-acclaimed author, Ursula Dubosarsky, and award-winning illustrator, Ron Brooks, traverse space and time, telling the story of a book throughout history. Dubosarsky and Brooks piece together the story of a book that was opened and loved, given and taken, closed and lost, found and forgotten before being discovered, uncovered and preserved at the library. 

Beautifully written and splendidly illustrated, this is a story about the inception, creation and preservation of books and culture. This enchanting children’s book has vast educational potential and is sure to captivate the hearts of book-lovers across the nation, encouraging them to find their own book of wonder. 

Brilliantly evocative and exceptionally engaging, there is something undeniably magical about Dubosarsky and Brooks’ timeless and ageless story, Midnight at the Library.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'From an extraordinary novelist and an award-winning illustrator comes this lyrical and unforgettable story about a boy and the untameable wildness of a hand-reared joey.

'This is a story about a boy called Pender and a kangaroo called Brindabella, about how they became friends, and all the things that happened to them because of it.

'Pender and his father live in an old house made of honey-coloured stone in the bush by the river, with only the company of his father's paintings and the loyal dog, Billy-Bob. Then, on one winter morning, a gunshot amongst the trees changes everything.

'When Pender rescues Brindabella from the pouch of her murdered mother, an unusual friendship blossoms between the lonely boy and the orphaned joey. But Brindabella is no ordinary kangaroo. And though Pender has saved her life, the untameable wildness of the bush--and freedom--call to her...

'Lyrical and unforgettable, Brindabella explores the brutal beauty of the Australian bush.' (Publication summary)

'It starts with one little goat. 
It ends with one little goat. 
But what happens in between is a whirlwind of nonsense and fun.

'International favourites Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner make the most of their advanced sense of the ridiculous in this hilarious read-aloud traditional tale.' (Source: Publisher's blurb) 

'A boy stood in the playground under the big fig tree. 'He can't speak English,' the children whispered...Sydney, 1942. The war is coming to Australia - not only with the threat of bombardment, but also the arrival of refugees from Europe. Dreamy Columba's world is growing larger. She is drawn to Ellery, the little boy from far away, and, together with her highly practical best friend Hilda, the three children embark on an adventure through the harbour-side streets - a journey of discovery and terror, in pursuit of the mysterious blue cat .....' (Publication summary)

'It’s Christmas time in Australia, and Reindeer has great fun delivering presents to his friend’s Cat, Dog and Guinea Pig. But even when it's warm and sunny outside, it's hard to be far from home and family on Christmas Eve.' (Publication summary)

'Twin baby gods with extraordinary powers from birth; twin boys brought up by a wolf, whose quarrel will one day make the greatest city in the world: from the pen of multi-award winning author Ursula Dubosarsky comes this fresh and lively retelling of two great myths from Greece and Rome, re-imagined fro young readers, and illustrated in gorgeous classical style by David Allan.' (Publication summary)

'Coco Carlomagno is the well-respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city.

'Coco's nerves are all a-jangle. Deep in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, the tomb of the famous, much-lamented tango singer Anibal Manzana has everyone baffled. It is talking! Could it be haunted?

'Luckily Coco has his commonsensical cousin Alberta on hand to help. Can they unravel this ghostly riddle?' (Publication summary)

'Coco is the well-respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city.

'Coco Carlomagno is trying to avert a national disaster. La Bella Cucharita, the highly strung world-famous opera singer, is due to make her return to the stage after an unfortunate nerve-wracking incident - but a strange message has her rattled. Who on earth would send La Bella Cucharita mysterious notes on the eve of such an eagerly awaited performance?

'Luckily Coco is on the case, and with a little help from his logic-loving cousin Alberta, he can discover just who is behind the quivering quavers.' (Publication summary)