Animals

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AUSTRALIANA FICTION - ANIMALS

Picture Books

Flying South (Loretta Re) $4 HB VGC (Ex lib) A beautiful hard-to-find children’s picture book about two pelicans named Willi and Millimurro who live on a lake in the desert. The delightful full-page illustrations of water birds and Sturt’s Desert Pea are linocuts by renowned Aussie artist Aileen Brown. 4-9 YO

I Did Nothing: The Extinction of the Gastric-Brooding Frog (Gary Crew & Mark Wilson) $4 HB VGC (Ex lib) Zeek learns the fate of what might have been the last Gastric-Brooding Frog. Sadly, the frog, which may have held the secret of a cure for cancer, was known for just nine years before all trace of it was lost in the wild. 6-10 YO http://www.marklwilson.com.au/I%20Did%20Nothing%20Book%20Cover.jpg

Banjo’s Bush Ballads: Three Favourite Horseback Adventures (Illustrated by Walter Stackpool) $3 HBDJ GC (Has a small section torn from jacket) The Man From Snowy River, Father Kelley's Horse and The Story Of Mongrel Grey. Lovely illustrations complete a great resource. Any age. http://kingbook54.org/images01/hfic2280.jpg

Banjo’s Animal Tales: Four Popular Children’s Stories (Banjo Paterson) $3 HB VGC, $2 PB VGC Meet lively characters like the emu and kangaroo football teams from Walgett, a whistler duck referee, Old Man Platypus, Weary Will the Wombat and Fido, a mischievous mongrel dog as they romp through their adventures in rhyme. Wonderful illustrations by Cheryl Westenberg. 4-9 YO http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Banjos-Animal-Tales-4-popular-stories-AB-Paterson-/400141514028

The Wombat Who Talked To The Stars: The Journal Of A Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Jill Morris) $6 HB VGC (Ex lib) A very special book about a rare and endangered species found in one small area in Australia. The species is teetering on the brink of extinction, having decreased to about 60 individuals living in burrows in the hot, dry north-west of Queensland. Jill Morris’ imaginative text and Sharon Dye’s watercolour illustrations range from true stories to poems and scientific reports. The layout is reminiscent of an ancient document, designed and written by one of the wombats, who has walked into the study traps 58 times! Recommended! 5-12 YO THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SHORT-LISTED BOOK. THE AUSTRALIAN AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING WINNER.
https://www.greaterglider.com.au/books/wombat.html

Digger’s Mate (Helen Lunn, illustrated Clifton Pugh) $3 PB EC Digger was top dog at Joyce’s mud brick house in the bush – until Myrtle came along. Having a baby wombat in the house is worse than having a new sister or brother. Joyce fussed over the wombat all the time; she had no time for Digger. Digger tried to like the wombat. Then he tried to get rid of her. But he didn’t realize what a good mate she could turn out to be. Based on a true story of an orphaned wombat being raised in the same household as a dog. Lovely picture book. 5-10 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DIGGERS-MATE-Helen-LUNN-Art-CLIFTON-PUGH-new-/230383824644?pt=AU_Books_Childrens_New

The Death Of A Wombat (Ivan Smith, with paintings, etchings and line drawings by Clifton Pugh) $2 HB EC (No jacket) A story told in poetry as a humble wombat meets a tragic end during a bushfire. Superb illustrations. 12+ http://www.librarything.com/work/605002

Yindala Dragon Thief (Barbara McNab) $2 PB EC (Ex lib) Yindala, a high-spirited koala who is obsessed with running fast, succumbs to the pressure to take "thorn apple seeds" under the misapprehension that they will make him the fastest koala in the bush, with disastrous consequences. The author hopes to encourage children to distance themselves from drugs later in life with this poignant story. 7-10 YO http://www.thenile.com.au/books/Barbara-McNab/Yindala-the-Dragon-Thief/9780858811904/

Harry And The Boss Kangaroo (Sarah Garland) $2 PB VGC (Bumping to one front cover edge) A gorgeous book with captivating paintings of the Aussie bush, cottages and the kangaroo species. Eight year old Harry understands the language of all the animals and birds in the Australian bush and shares many adventures with them. This exciting world is brought vividly to life in Sarah Garland’s words and pictures. 4-8 YO http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HARRY-BOSS-KANGAROO-SARAH-GARLAND-1ST-AUS-ED-/280545459382

Lizard Log (Christobel Mattingley, illustrated by Walter Stackpool) $3 PB VGC Lizards everywhere! Big lizards, small lizards, medium sized lizards. Tony and his family are camping in the bush near the sea when their tent is invaded by lizards. Tony wants to keep them as pets, but his mother insists that he return them to the forest. One day when he is taking them some food he finds himself and the lizards in danger……..until a large, fierce goanna arrives to save the day. Wonderful story and illustrations! 5-10 YO http://www.oztion.com.au/buy/auction.aspx?itemid=9870504

Magpie Island (Colin Thiele) $4 HB VGC (Tape residue, ex lib) Colin Thiele takes us to the the islands of offshore South Australia. Gaunt, windswept and solitary, it is a strangely perfect setting for the story of a lonely magpie, "a castaway, a Robinson Crusoe... a dot on a tree, that was a twig on a hill, that was a lump on an island, that was a barrow-load of rock." This book is much more than a story about a magpie. It is a story about loneliness and fortitude, joy and tragedy, struggle and failure; a story marked by that compassionate insight into the meaning of solitude which illuminates so much of Thiele's writing. Beautifully illustrated by Roger Haldane. Large picture book style. 8-13 YO CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL AUSTRALIA COMMENDATION http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAGPIE-ISLAND-COLIN-THIELE-ROGER-HALDANE-1ST-ED-/290461485199

Fraser Dingo (Jill Morris) $4 PB VGC (Ex lib) Fraser Island is a sand island paradise off the coast of Queensland, with hundreds of 'perched' lakes, long deserted beaches, and a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Tourism is increasing, especially beach-camping. The rare dingoes of Fraser Island (the purest breed of their species) an endangered group of about 200 individuals, have had their natural feeding patterns changed by access to humans' food. The dingoes have begun to demand this food and a few animals have threatened the safety of the tourists. The major cause is human carelessness about the disposal of rubbish. This book has been prepared to inform children about this environmental dilemma. Appealing watercolour illustrations form a brilliant background for this informative story. 6-12 year-olds http://www.greaterglider.com.au/books/dingo.html

Chapter Books & Novels

The Roo That Won The Melbourne Cup (Jackie French) $5 PB EC Set in the 1950s, this is a funny story about a family's adventures as they help their pet kangaroo win the Melbourne Cup. THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA BOOK OF THE YEAR: NOTABLE BOOK, YOUNGER READERS 7-11 YO

Kangaroo Tales: Australian Stories for Children (Selected by Rosemary Wighton) $4 PB GC With selected stories by these authors: C.J. Dennis, Nan Chauncy, Ethel C. Pedley, Mrs Aeneas Gunn, Alan Villiers, Elyne Mitchell, Ellen Campbell, William Howitt, Kate Langloh Parker, Ethel Turner, Norman Lindsay, Edward Dyson, Henry Lawson, Frank Dalby Davison, Kylie Tennant, Amy E. Mack, Mary Grant Bruce and George Manville Fenn. 9+ http://www.oztion.com.au/oa/oa_previewpic.aspx?itemid=9964844&picnum=1&#pic

There’s a Wallaby at the Bottom of My Garden (Jackie French) $3 PB VGC This is the story of Fred the blacktailed wallaby, who liked eating apricots and mandarins, but never really noticed where he left his tail. 5-9 YO http://www.wheelersbooks.com.au/books/9780864611116-theres-a-wallaby-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden-graded-reading-orange/?view=list&class=fiction

The Warrior: The Story Of A Wombat (Jackie French) $3 PB VGC (Ex lib) At first his whole world had been the pouch; the sweet scent of his mother, her warmth, and the steady thud of her pulse. Now, he wants to find another world. The warrior is ready to explore. But finding a world, his world, away from the safety of the creel flat and his mother's hole, is hard and dangerous. And for the warrior to make a new world his, he has to overcome his fears and the the Enemy. 7-10 YO http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Story-Wombat-Young-Bluegum/dp/0207190887

Danny’s Egg (Colin Thiele) $2 HBDJ EC Danny's problems begin the day he finds an emu egg in the scrub beyond the town and takes it home, determined to hatch the little emu chick. The day before the school pet show, the school bully, Hacker, steals the egg and releases a hungry goanna from its cage. Can Danny save the egg? 7-11 YO http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vsT74rmKbks/Sf7BHfVxMkI/AAAAAAAAAAk/sZHkO0wPBlo/s400/dannys+egg.JPG

Grandfather’s Tiger (Mary Small) $4 HBDJ VGC It's the end of the world for Alan when, recently orphaned, he goes to live with his grandparents in Tasmania - until he realises that his grandfather has a secret to share with him. Living in Tasmania made him aware of the possible existence of the supposedly extinct Tasmanian Tiger 10+ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/ProductImages/HighStDonated/12_2008/211426/crossSell_e1d1ee9f794f4a48bb07332c0c69d535.jpg

Tiger In The Bush (Nan Chauncy) $3 PB GC (Ex lib) Eleven year old Badge delights in the wildlife that surrounds his valley home deep in the heart of Tasmania. But he accidentally reveals the whereabouts of the nearly extinct Tasmanian Tiger to his cousin, Russ, who wants to carry away the rare animal to captivity. 10+ THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER http://www.librarycatalogue.act.gov.au/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=128184656U256.75637&profile=vl&uri=full=3100001~!262884~!1&ri=1&aspect=subtab13&menu=search&source=~!horizon&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=Chauncy%2C+Nan%2C+1900-1970.&index=.AW&uindex=&aspect=subtab13&menu=search&ri=1#focus

The Brumby Series (Elyne Mitchell)

Elyne Mitchell is noted for the Silver Brumby series of children's novels. She was educated at St Catherine's School, Toorak. She married lawyer, and later parliamentarian, Thomas Walter Mitchell, and moved with him to the Snowy Mountains where she drew inspiration for her brumby books.

Brumby Stories Omnibus (Elyne Mitchell) $8 PB EC Contains ‘The Silver Brumby,’ ‘Dancing Brumby,’ ‘Dancing Brumby’s Rainbow’ and ‘Brumbies of the Night.’ 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/elyne-mitchell/brumby-stories.htm

Silver Brumby (Elyne Mitchell) $4 PB VGC, $2 PB FC (Cover wear) This is the story of Thowra, a silvery-white brumby, who becomes leader of his own herd, defeating other stallions and evading the men who try to capture him. Wonderful scenery and descriptions of flora and fauna found in the Snowies abound in this series. Includes a map of the Crackenback and Kosciusko areas. 9+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/elyne-mitchell/silver-brumby-kingdom.htm (Similar cover)

Silver Brumby’s Daughter (Elyne Mitchell) $4 PB VGC (Light tanning) In this coming-of-age story the protagonist is a wild horse. The silver-coated filly, Kunama, longs to explore the mountains beyond the safe world of her parents, but danger lurks. A violent stallion tries to force her into his herd. Men plot to capture and tame her. Owls hoot warnings and wisdom. A kangaroo helps her. There's romance, too--a handsome stallion is drawn to her. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Brumbys-Daughter-Elyne-Mitchell/dp/0006930131 (Cover different)

Dancing Brumby (Elyne Mitchell) $4 PB VGC Choopa is a dancer. When he hears the music of the waltz streaming into the cold night air of the high mountains, he dances. Far below, a child′s voice called: ′There′s a tiny horse dancing on the pass.′ The music grew louder again, and Choopa′s blue and white legs and body waltzed above the Snowy River. And so the stories begin of the little blue roan foal with the strange, misshapen legs, who dances like an angel. 10+ http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Dancing-Brumby-Elyne-Mitchell/?isbn=9780207189173

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The Snow Pony (Alison Lester) $4 PB GC Only Dusty can ride the wild Snow Pony. And no one but Dusty will trust her.... Three years of drought have reduced Riley’s farm to a dirt patch and strained the family to breaking point. A trip to the mountains to muster their cattle promises a fresh start, but sudden violence erupts into the peaceful landscape.... Now Dusty and her beautiful brumby are tested as never before. 10+ http://www.alisonlester.net/the%20snow%20pony.html

The Broken Saddle (James Aldridge) $3 PB FC (Minor cover wear and tanning) Living in a small Australian Township at the time of the Great Depression, Eric and his mother have nothing. Until one Saturday, in one of his fleeting visits home, Eric’s drover father leaves him a pony of his own. At first, Eric is afraid of the wild, unbroken pony which he must tame and learn to ride. But as mutual fear gives way to mutual friendship, both horse and boy begin to enjoy their daily contest to outwit each other. A remarkable story about how a boy’s relationship with his horse affects his entire life. 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/james-aldridge/broken-saddle.htm

Ride The Wild Wind (Jackie French) $4 PB EC This collection takes us on a journey through the ages, focusing on the special relationship that exists between humans and horses. The first story, set six thousand years ago in the Ukraine, is the touching tale of a young girl who forms a close bond with a pony that she rears from a foal. Then we travel to ancient Greece and witness the cruelties of slavery; we experience the terror of the half-million horses in Genghis Khan′s army; we wander through the glades of Arthurian England; and in twentieth-century Australia we meet a young Aboriginal boy and the wild stallion he tames. The final story is set in the Australia of the 1950′s where the long working partnership between people and horses is finally coming to an end. These heart-warming stories are full of love and life; it is a collection that few readers will be able to resist. 10+ http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/9780207198304/Ride_the_Wild_Wind/index.aspx

Saddle Up Again: More Australian Horse Tales (Mary Small) $5 PB VGC From the wild gallop of the brumby, to the well-mannered walk of the most dutiful of ponies - the next best thing to riding a horse is reading all about it. Saddle Up Again brings together favourites like Alan Marshall, Sally Odgers and Garry Hurle, mixes them with classic tales from Henry Lawson and C.J. Dennis, and introduces some exciting new writers of Australian horse stories too, including Krista Bell and Ron Stevens. Mary Small was inspired to compile this collection by her deep respect for the quality and range of Australian horse stories. 9-13 YO http://www.marysmall.com.au/books/saddleup.htm

The Hundred Islands (Mavis Thorpe Clark) $4 HBDJ VGC (Ex lib) A novel set on an island in Bass Strait, dealing with the life of the islanders and the seasonal migratory path of the Tasmanian Mutton Bird. Seventeen-year-old Greg's concern with preserving the wildlife of the hundred islands leads him to defy his father and set out on his own path toward the future. 10+ http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAVIS-THORPE-CLARK-Hundred-Islands-HBDJ-/130408162511?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Books_Childrens_New&hash=item1e5ceea4cf

Storm Boy (Colin Thiele, illustrated by Robert Ingpen) $3 HBDJ GC A moving story that is one of the classics of Australian writing for children. This edition is illustrated with paintings by renowned artist Robert Ingpen that capture the wave-beaten shore and the windswept sandhills of the Coorong in South Australia, home of Storm Boy and the pelican Mr. Percival. Storm Boy saves the life of Mr. Percival, and in return the pelican helps Storm Boy's father with his fishing and joins in the rescue of a shipwrecked crew. The boy and the pelican prove friends to the end. 8-11 YO http://www.qbd.com.au/product/9781741101874-Storm_Boy_by_Colin_Thiele.htm (Ours is an older edition)

Wedgetail (Colin Thiele) $4 PB VGC (Ex lib) Novel for young readers about a boy's relationship with an eagle. One day a ranger brings Andy an orphaned eaglet so tiny that is seems unlikely to survive. Andy struggles to save its life, protect it from danger, and finally, to watch it grow into a proud eagle. The boy and the bird form a deep bond, but sooner or later Andy knows he must release his friend into the wild. Prolific children's author has written over 100 books including the multi-award-winning 'Storm Boy', 'The Sun on the Stubble', and 'Blue Fin'.9+ http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/book/wedgetail/3455832/

Swan Song (Colin Thiele) $4 PB VGC (Ex lib) This beautifully written story tells about the life of a boy, Mitch, who lives in the Coorong National Park in South Australia. His father is a ranger there and Mitch leads a happy and adventurous life exploring and fishing and making the most of the lovely place where he lives. He has to complete his last two years of primary school by correspondence and he must adjust to the routine of working from home. While out inspecting Pelican Island, Mitch comes across a warm swan egg that has been left. He and his mother successfully hatch out the egg, and Mitch now has a responsibility to look after. The story is a warm and moving account of a young boy growing up and the adventures and concerns he has as he matures. 10+ http://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/Swan-Song/Colin-Thiele/book_9780734403254.htm

Pinquo (Colin Thiele) $4 PB VGC Pinquo is a fairy penguin, who can swim, skip and dive faster than the blink of an eye. When Pinquo is wounded, the children Kirsty and Tim take him to Dr Piper, and they all look after Pinquo until he is ready to go to sea. Later the penguin with the droopy walk and kinky flipper comes back into their lives, with his new family. When disaster strikes Sickle Bay, Pinquo leads a mad stampede of a thousand frenzied penguins, to save the townspeople. Little Pinquo is a hero.10+ http://www.newholland.com.au/product.php?isbn=9781741102383

Brahminy: The Story Of A Boy And A Sea Eagle (Colin Thiele) $5 PB VGC The bird hung in the air above the river. It was so low that Luke could see it clearly: a big nuggety bird with strong talons and a curving beak. Its feathers were beautiful: a lovely chestnut colour on the back and sides, and bright white on the head and breast. The wing tips were black. This was the first time Luke had ever seen a Brahminy kite, or sea eagle. He didn't know then that another Brahminy – a helpless, abandoned chick – would soon change his whole life. 10+ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3131637.BRAHMINY_The_Story_of_a_boy_and_a_Sea_Eagle

The Landing: A Night Of Birds (Katherine Scholes) $4 HBDJ VGC One stormy night at her grandfather's place on the windswept coast of Victoria, Annie enters a boathouse occupied by injured muttonbirds and finds herself able to understand their speech. Combines beautiful prose with haunting pictures by David Wong. The book itself is physically sumptuous and the story is very, very special. 11+ http://www.katherinescholes.com/land.html

Spud (John Heffernan) $5 PB EC Spud, a blue heeler pup, begins her life in the city, at a time when blue heelers are fashionable. These dogs are bred to work on the land and when Spud is no longer a cute puppy, she is abandoned. Luckily she is adopted by a new master. She goes to a new home in the country, and receives love and respect from the caring man. Spud's fortunes change again when she comes under the control of a new owner. He is cruel and violent, and treats her terribly and Spud must rely on her instincts to ensure her survival ... An exciting novel that gives an honest and graphic picture of life on the land. Highly recommended! Our 9 year old son has loved this book and its sequels! 10+ http://www.spudplus.com/Spud.jpg

The Dog King (Paul Collins) $2 PB VGC Keiren is a loner who longs for a dog - one that can win the annual dog show hurdle race and show Keiren's arch-enemy a thing or two. When Jack Ellis turns up at Keiren's mother's boarding house, he befriends the boy and tells him some ripping yarns about dogs that recall the classic Australian stories Henry Lawson used to tell. Although Jack mysteriously disappears, it looks as though Keiren's dream will come true. http://www.paulcollins.com.au/covers_inside.html

Broome Dog (Mary Small) $5 HB EC, $4 PB EC Sam didn’t want to leave his home in Broome, the old pearl-diving port on the north coast of Western Australia, but when his father is offered a new job in the far away town of Katherine, Sam has no choice. Sam doesn’t like Katherine, and neither does his best friend ‘Knuckles’ – a ‘Broome dog’ mixture of cattle dog and bull terrier commonly found in the north-west of Australia. Knuckles escapes and heads off back along the road to Broome….and into a long and dangerous journey. 8-12 http://www.marysmall.com.au/books/broomedog.htm

Desert Dog (Pat Lowe) $4 PB VGC (Ex lib) An engaging tale about Spinifex, a dingo pup, and his adventures with his adopted family. Provides a strong analogy with Aboriginal peoples' first contact with Europeans. Jimmy Pike's superb drawings bring this story to life. 9+ http://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/Desert-Dog/Pat-Lowe/book_9781875641352.htm

(Last update January, 2012)