Cirrus@Austlit

'Belka – ‘Little Face’ is the poignant story of a young Russian boy and his pet dog ‘little face’, as he likes to call her. When ‘little face’ goes missing, the boy is devastated, yet he soon learns that she has other adventures to embark upon. Set in the Soviet Union of the 1960s, Belka – ‘Little Face’ gives us a glimpse into history when the Space Race was just beginning. This book is dedicated to all the doggies who gave their life in our efforts to conquer space.' (Publication summary)

'The best thing about living in the Kimberley is fossicking around in the bush. Eleven-year-old Binnu sees himself as one of the community's most accurate and deadly hunters, and with his 'ging' in his pocket he's prepared for anything. When, unthinkingly, he kills a native cockatoo he brings all kinds of trouble down on himself. Grandfather, as ancient as the land itself, is the only person who can help him, so the two of them begin their trek up into the tropical gorges to put things right. Will Binnu ever be free of that which haunts him?' (Publication summary)

'For the past five years Alison Giles has made an annual visit to Moscow, the city she dreamed of visiting when she was a young girl. A mysterious place that, up until the 90s, was difficult to enter: and exit for that matter.

'Alison captures the essence of a very modern city that is steeped in its history, its culture and its language. Visits to quirky restaurants, awe-inspiring museums, strolls along mediaeval streets with Russian friends and acquaintances who relate what life is like living in Putin's modern Russia. "Moscow is brutally ugly and exquisitely beautiful. A dichotomy of a human architecture that is outdated, crumbling and alienating alongside that which is gilded, overelaborate and breath-taking... "

'This is not a travel guide and Alison would encourage us to explore the city under our own steam and with our own interests, yet she does give a few tips for the wary traveller. Instead, it is a travel memoir which captures the sounds and sights, the textures and tastes of a city that continues to fascinate many.' (Publication summary)