Cirrus@Austlit

'Meet my dog Bigsy. He's only small, but everyone knows he's the boss.

'Each morning he visits the animals on the farm.

'Squawk, neigh, quack, moo, baa, oink, cluck, purr, ruff ruff ruff!

'What a lot of noise! And all because of Bigsy!

'From Australia's favourite picture-book creator, comes this energetic story about a little dog who causes a big commotion. ' (Publication summary)

'Sometimes the best things appear out of thin air

'The wind blows all day on Ollie's island. There aren't many people around, but there's lots of space to play.

'One day the wind steals Ollie's hat. Then it darts away with his scarf. But is the wind just naughty, or is it trying to tell Ollie something?

'A stunning picture book from a new author-illustrator talent.' (Publication summary)

'Award-winning and much-loved author and illustrator Anna Walker gives us a gentle, poignant, affirming and wise picture book sure to delight all ages. Mr. Huff is a story about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives.

'Bill is having a bad day.

'Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem difficult.

'Bill tries to get rid of him, but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger!

'Then they both stop, and a surprising thing happens . . . ' (Publication summary)

''Hey diddle diddle, You all know the riddle, A cow jumps over the moon...' But the moon is very high in the sky. How many attempts will it take before Cow makes her famous high-flying leap? ' (Publication summary)

'Hey there guys.

Would you like a banana?

What's wrong with you, Brian?

You're a Piranha.'

'Brian is a piranha. He is also a vegetarian. But do you think he can convince his family to join him?' (Publication summary)

'Declan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he's known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for.

'But there's something in Declan's past that just won't go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he's at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long. So he makes the only decision he thinks he has left: the decision to end it all.

'Or does he? As the train approaches and Declan teeters at the edge of the platform, two versions of his life are revealed. In one, Declan watches as his body is destroyed and the lives of those who loved him unravel. In the other, Declan pauses before he jumps. And this makes all the difference.' (Publication summary)

'Robbie knows bad things happen in Walgaree. But it's nothing to do with him. That's just the way the Aborigines have always been treated. In the summer of 1965 racial tensions in the town are at boiling point, and something headed Walgaree's way will blow things apart. It's time for Robbie to take a stand. Nothing will ever be the same.' (Publication summary)

'But the band played 'Waltzing Matilda' when we stopped to bury our slain. We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs; then we started all over again.

'Eric Bogle's famous and familiar Australian song about the Battle of Gallipoli explores the futility of war with haunting power. Now Bruce Whatley's evocative illustrations bring a heart-rending sense of reality to the tale.

'A timely story for every generation to share.' (Publication summary)

'Eva squeezed Suri's hand. 'What's there? What can you see?'

''What can I see?' Suri looked out over the wall. 'Oh, it's beautiful, let me tell you all about it.'

'A moving tale of the power of the human spirit brought alive by Lucy Estela and award-winning illustrator Matt Ottley.' (Publication summary)

'One Step at a Time is an exquisite picture book which tells a touching story about the relationship between a young boy, Luk, and his elephant, Mali. On the border of Thailand and Burma, Mali steps on a landmine. Luk supports her during her recovery. Mali is eventually fitted with a prosthesis and get a second chance at life. One Step at a Time is a ground-breaking story. Heinrich’s beautiful illustrations match Jolly’s light touch when it comes to writing about the sensitive subject of landmines. It is a story about love and friendship that will enthral children around the world.' (Publication summary)

'Tonight is the night.

'The family has to flee.

'They've been tipped off that the authorities are after their blood.

'Set in biblical times, a small family sets off across a desert in search of refuge from persecution in their own country, and an ancient story becomes a fable for our times. Their journey is beset by heat and thirst, threatening tanks and the loss of their donkey, but eventually they reach a refugee camp where they can wait in safety for asylum in another country.

'In this first-time collaboration between multi-award-winning author, Nadia Wheatley, and internationally-renowned illustrator, Armin Greder, words and images blend seamlessly to take readers on a journey they will never forget. ' (Publication summary)

'"My dead bunny's name is Brad; his odour is extremely bad. He visits me when I'm in bed, but Bradley wasn't always dead ..." A hilarious rhyming tale about a zombie bunny who comes back to visit his owner. ' (Publication summary)

'Ricardo loved to ride his bike through the village. He rode under endless skies, quiet and clear. He rode every day ... But then the shadows came.' (Publication summary)

'The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka is the most talked-about work of Australian history in recent years. Now here is Clare Wright's groundbreaking, award-winning study of the women who made the rebellion, in an abridged edition for teenage readers.

'Front and centre are the vibrant, adventurous personalities who were players in the rebellion: Sarah Hanmer, Ellen Young, Clara Seekamp, Anastasia Hayes and Catherine Bentley, among others.

'But just as important were the thousands of women who lived, worked and traded on the goldfields—women who have been all but invisible until now. Discovering them changes everything.' (Publication summary)

'This is the inspiring true story of nine-year-old Lennie Gwyther who, at the height of the Great Depression in 1932, rode his pony from his home town of Leongatha in rural Victoria to Sydney to witness the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Lennie’s 1,000-kilometre solo journey captured the imagination of the nation, and his determination and courage provided hope to many at a difficult time in Australia’s history.

'Lennie the Legend begins with a terrible accident on the family farm, when Lennie, remarkably at such a young age, takes on the responsibility for the ploughing. Lennie is obsessed with the marvel of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and, as a reward for saving the farm from missing the planting season, his parents grant him his wish to ride on his own to Sydney for the opening of the bridge. Lennie has all sorts of adventures along the way—a thief lurking in the bush in the dead of night, a raging bushfire, surprise appearances, celebrations in his honour, being the star of a newsreel, and meeting the Prime Minister.' (Publication summary)

'The new Australian go-to book for parents wanting help with THAT talk ...

'It's one of the most amazing stories ever told - and it's true!

Funny, frank and embarrassment-free, THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF HOW BABIES ARE MADE gives a fresh take on the incredible tale of where we all come from.' (Publication summary)

'The Gestapo called her The White Mouse - and they wanted her, dead or alive. Nancy Wake was an Australian who joined the French Resistance during World War II and became the most wanted woman in France. Parachuting behind enemy lines, blowing up bridges and smuggling refugees across borders, Nancy fought fiercely against the enemy and became the most decorated Australian woman in any war.' (Publication summary)

Phasmid is the amazing true story of the Lord Howe Island Phasmid, or Stick Insect. Believed to be extinct for nearly 80 years, the phasmids were rediscovered on Balls Pyramid, a volcanic outcrop 23 kilometres off the coast of Lord Howe Island, Australia. News of their unbelievable survival made headlines around the world and prompted an extraordinary conservation effort to save this remarkable invertebrate. This wonderful tale captures the life of one of the world's most critically endangered invertebrates, from beginning life as an egg to surviving harsh environments and the hopeful return to their homeland, Lord Howe Island. Phasmid is a positive story about one species' incredible survival in a time of worldwide species decline. (Source: Trove)

'Britta has always wanted to be a trader like her father, sailing the nine seas and bringing precious cargo home to Del harbour. Her dreams seemed safe until her fathers quest to find the fabled Staff of Tier ended in blood and horror. Now his shamed family is in hiding, and his ship, the Star of Deltora, belongs to the powerful Rosalyn fleet. But Brittas ambition burns as fiercely as ever.When she suddenly gets the chance to win back her future she knows she has to take it whatever the cost. She has no idea that shadows from a distant, haunted isle are watching her every move.' (Publication summary)

'A young Aboriginal girl is taken from the north of Australia and sent to an institution in the distant south. There, she slowly makes a new life for herself and, in the face of tragedy, finds strength in new friendships. Poignantly told from the child’s perspective, Sister Heart affirms the power of family and kinship.' (Publication summary)

'I hoped the Nazis would be defeated.

And they were.

'I hoped the war would be over.

And it was.

'I hoped we would be safe.

But we aren't.

'Soon continues the incredibly moving story of Felix, a Jewish boy still struggling to survive in the wake of the liberation of Poland after the end of World War Two.' (Publication summary)

'In this delightful companion to The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present, Cleo comes up with ingenious ways to make a new friend and find a pet.

'Cleo's best friend is away, her parents are busy, and there's nothing to do but count raindrops - or tidy her room. Just when she thinks she'll never cheer up, Cleo has an idea. In the next story, Cleo longs for a pet but her mum and dad say no. Perhaps the answer is hidden somewhere unexpected.

'Two more endearing stories about Cleo, the little girl with a big imagination who always finds a way to have fun, from the creators of The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present.' (Publication summary)

'For Vân Uoc Phan, fantasies fell into two categories: nourishing, or pointless. Daydreaming about Billy Gardiner, for example? Pointless. It always left her feeling sick, as though she'd eaten too much sugar.

'Vân Uoc doesn't believe in fairies, zombies, vampires, Father Christmas - or magic wishes. She believes in keeping a low profile: real life will start when school finishes.

'But when she attracts the attention of Billy Gardiner, she finds herself in an unwelcome spotlight.

'Not even Jane Eyre can help her now.

'Wishes were not a thing.

'They were not.

'Correction.

'Wishes were a thing.

'Wishes that came true were sometimes a thing.

'Wishes that came true because of magic were not a thing!

'Were they?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Strong-willed Jena lives in a village shrouded in superstition and secrets. Like all the other girls, she has been bound and broken since birth to make her small enough to gather precious mica, which keeps her people warm in winter. But after a tragic accident, Jena starts questioning everything she's ever been told, and the truth will have consequences she cannot predict - for everybody. This beautifully written, haunting novel warns of the consequences of blind following, and shows the important difference between appearance and truth. This is award-winning McKinlay's best yet.' (Publication summary)