The Little Corroboree Frog


Book Description

The Little Corroborree Frog is a wonderful children's story that gently introduces the serious plight of one of Australia's most endangered species. Jet the corroboree frog is happily taking care of the tadpole ponds when the water starts to dry up and his family's eggs are threatened. He goes to visit Grandmother Frog to find out why and she tells him all about the summers that are getting hotter every year and the careless humans who are leaving their rubbish around. When a boy and his father arrive to go fishing in the nearby river, Jet seizes the opportunity to show them how humans are threatening the very existence of his species.




Gadi Mirrabooka


Book Description

Take a journey into the fascinating world of Australia's Aboriginal culture with this unique collection of 33 authentic, unaltered stories brought to you by three Aboriginal storyteller custodians! Unlike other compilations of tales that were modified and published without permission from the Aboriginal people, these stories are now presented with approval from Aboriginal elders in an effort to help foster a better understanding of the history and culture of the Aboriginal people. Gadi Mirrabooka, which means below the Southern Cross, introduces wonderful tales from the Dreamtime, the mystical period of Aboriginal beginning. Through these stories you can learn about customs and values, animal psychology, hunting and gathering skills, cultural norms, moral behavior, the spiritual belief system, survival skills, and food resources. A distinctive and absolutely compelling story collection, this book is an immensely valuable treasure for educators, parents, children, and adult readers. Grades K-A




Free Diving


Book Description

Free Diving is a poignant tribute to the Indigenous men and women who worked in the pearling industry as 'free divers' in the late nineteenth century in Western Australia. In a practice known as 'blackbirding' (forced unpaid labour), European pearl lugger owners used Indigenous people to dive for pearl shell. With no protective suits, the divers faced threats such as decompression sickness (known as the 'bends'), shark attack, or of being swept away by huge tides. At sea for weeks at a time, there was also the risk of the luggers being shipwrecked in cyclones that formed off the coast. The lyrical narrative is based on the celebrated song 'Free Diving' by singer-songwriter Lorrae Coffin. It sensitively reflects the emotional journey of a young man who leaves family and country to work on a lugger with Japanese and Malay divers by his side. Bronwyn Houston's illustrations are a deep-sea celebration that illuminate both the glory of the ocean and the extreme dangers encountered by the free divers. Free Diving is a fictionalised story of a young man lost at sea. Age range 7 to 10




Wildlife of Australia


Book Description

The go-to introductory guide to Australia's diverse wildlife and habitats Ideal for the nature-loving traveler, Wildlife of Australia is a handy photographic pocket guide to the most widely seen birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and habitats of Australia. The guide features more than 400 stunning color photographs, and coverage includes 350 birds, 70 mammals, 30 reptiles, and 16 frogs likely to be encountered in Australia's major tourist destinations. Accessible species accounts are useful for both general travelers and serious naturalists, and the invaluable habitat section describes the Australian bush and its specific wildlife. Animal species with similar features are placed on the same plates in order to aid identification. Wildlife of Australia is an indispensable and thorough resource for any nature enthusiast interested in this remarkable continent. Easy-to-use pocket guide More than 400 high-quality photographs Accessible text aids identification Habitat guide describes the Australian bush and its specific wildlife Coverage includes the 350 birds, 70 mammals, 30 reptiles, and 16 frogs most likely to be seen on a trip around Australia




The Outback


Book Description

Aust'n author Annaliese Porter captures the Australian outback in all its moods in this moving bush ballad about the country's vast interior.




The Mark of the Wagarl


Book Description

Maadjit Walken is the Sacred Rainbow Serpent. She is the mother spirit and creator of Nyoongar Country in the south-west of Western Australia. She formed the landscape and the waterways, and made her first child Maadjit Wagarl, the Sacred Water Snake, the guardian spirit of all the rivers and fresh waters. The Mark of the Wagarl is the story of a how a little boy dared to questioned the wisdom of his elders and why he received the Sacred Water Snake for his totem. Janice Lyndon's pastel illustrations resonate with the cultural power of the Maadjit Wagarl and the landscape of the south-west.




When I Was Little, Like You


Book Description

As Mary Malbunka shares her stories of playing with friends, building cubby houses, climbing trees, collecting sugarbag, digging for honey ants, hunting for lizards, and learning about the seasons, animals and plants, she creates a vivid picture of a truly Australian childhood in which country - ngurra is life itself. Warm and accessible, this is essentially an oral story, and it contains a number of words in Luritja whose meaning is explained in context and also within an extensive glossary. The book also interprets recurring symbols used in traditional Aboriginal painting. 'This beautiful work is a gift to children, education and reconciliation.' - Jackie Huggins AM, Co-Chair, Reconciliation Australia 'Mary Malbunka's story is simply bursting with details of her childhood in Papunya - the bush tucker and medicines, the animals, the sense of family and community, the Dreaming stories, the country itself and the difficulties of fitting in to the white man's world. I'm sure readers young and old will find the vibrant picture it paints to be irresistible. It is also an important story because it helps Aboriginal people reclaim our traditional culture.' - Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue




Whoever You Are


Book Description

Despite the differences between children around the world, there are similarities that join us together, such as pain, joy, and love. Inside they are the same.




Benny Bungarra's Big Bush Clean-Up


Book Description

An environmental tale for Early Childhood and Lower Primary readers that shows how animals are affected by rubbish left in their habitat by humans. Ambelin Kwaymullina's illustrations are an explosion of colour and cleverly show the perils faced by our native animals. When the animals work as a team to come up with ways to look after the bush, they decide to ask the humans to REDUCE, RECYCLE and use RUBBISH BINS. But it is Benny Bungarra who has the bright idea of a BIG BUSH CLEAN-UP so the animals can also help look after the bush.




Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia


Book Description

Throughout much of the world, frog populations are declining, with the survival of many species under threat. In Australia, several species have become extinct in the past 35 years. This second edition of Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia provides fully updated accounts of all the known frogs of Australia. There are 248 species within the five native frog families: Hylidae, Limnodynastidae, Microhylidae, Myobatrachidae and Ranidae. Also included are the introduced Cane Toad and nine ‘stowaway’ species that have arrived in Australia. Each species account includes details of size, status, distribution, habitat, behaviour and advertisement call. Species are beautifully illustrated with full-colour paintings and distribution maps are also included. Closely related frogs are shown in identical poses so that comparisons can be made readily. The introductory section of the book covers frog biology and habitats and includes notes on families and genera.




Recent Books