Cirrus@Austlit

In Dingo's Dash, two young dingoes learn a valuable lesson about minding their own business. The dingo is a medium-sized wild dog brought to Australia from Asia 4000 years ago. Dingoes are found in all Australian States except Tasmania. They usually have ginger-coloured fur but may also be white or have black-and-tan colouring.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Splash the Platypus, Splash and the other platypuses learn that it can be useful to be a little bit different. Platypuses are egg-laying mammals called monotremes. They live in burrows beside creeks and waterholes and have thick, waterproof fur that keeps them warm when they hunt for food under water.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Possum's Plunge, two species of possums find they are not so different after all, despite the gossip each has heard about the other. Pygmy-possums are approximately 7 cm long. The much larger brushtail possums are approximately 55 cm long. Both possums are nocturnal, tree-dwelling marsupials, native to Australia.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Chasing Chickens, three hens learn that they need to get along with one another for the sake of their chicks. Chickens keep their eggs warm by sitting on them and only get up to eat and drink once a day. The chickens in this book are called bantams. The brown hen and white hen are frizzle bantams. Frizzle is a mutation in which the feathers grow so that they curve outward, instead of lying smoothly along the bird's body.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Daring Duckling, a duckling learns that sometimes wishing for adventure and wanting to see the world leads you right back home — to safety.

Ducklings freely move about the nest within 24 hours of hatching. Once the mother has checked that there are no predators, she will call the ducklings out of the nest to search for food. They become independent after 56–70 days of care.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Freya's Foal, a horse worries that his mother's new foal is getting more attention, but he soon comes to love his new little brother.

'Newborn foals are very wobbly when they first stand up, about half an hour after their birth, to drink their mother's milk. They grow very quickly in the first month and soon learn to eat grass. When they are 4–6 months old they are almost fully independent. Foals have lots of energy and each day they explore and gain more confidence.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Galah Games, Ernie and Eddie are two galahs that act silly and annoy the rest of the flock. One day, Ernie plays a trick that goes too far and upsets everyone. Ernie and Eddie fly away wondering why nobody laughs with them. When they are gone, the others in the flock learn a valuable lesson, as do Ernie and Eddie.

Galahs are well known for their silly antics. They may hang from a branch upside down, by one foot, while flapping their wings and screeching loudly, only to be ignored by the rest of the flock.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Frilled Friend, a frilled lizard thinks he is just ordinary and brown there is nothing special about him. Even the spinifex hopping-mice ignore him as they gather their food. All that is about to change, as one day a huge monitor threatens all the mice and the ordinary brown lizard finally gets the chance to show them his true colours.

'The frilled lizard is one of the world's most spectacular dragons. When threatened, it opens its mouth wide displaying a bright yellow interior, and hisses loudly. Looking fierce, it also opens an impressive neck frill.' (Publisher's blurb)

'In Whale Worries, a mother humpback whale is very worried about her calf after he dives down deep into the water and doesn't come up for a very long time. During that time the mother whale has something else to worry about – sharks!

'The humpback is one of the most commonly seen whales in coastal waters. It is best known for its spectacular surface displays. The humpback is a slow swimmer and can remain under water for up to 45 minutes.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Is Freddie seeing things? There are dangers everywhere he looks but are they real or imagined? Find out how Freddie finds a unique solution to avoid going batty!

Fruit bats, otherwise known as flying-foxes, hang upside down from their perches. Valves in their veins prevent blood from collecting in their brains. Even though they live upside down, they have exceptional eyesight and unlike microbats, their smaller cousins, fruit bats don't need to use echolocation to navigate.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Introduce your child to the days of the week and positional words like 'between' and 'under' with this fun book full of Australian animals. Lift the flaps to find where Joey is hiding!' (Publication summary)

'Introduce your child to Australia’s unique animals and habitats with this fun book. Life the flap to find out who lives where! Whose Home is This? Is a fun way for children to meet Australian animals and learn about the environment' (publication blurb).