It shares a message of hope for anyone who feels alone, out of place or misunderstood.
Right from when Sketch was born, there was something different about him, both in looks and actions.
In his home town, which is neat and picture perfect, and everything and everyone have their place, Sketch just doesn’t seem to fit in.
It’s got a modern, yet retro feel, and is filled with bright illustrations, colourful text boxes, and lots of green to match the theme. The design uses plenty of subheadings and every turn of a page offers visual elements.
It starts by looking at the history of cities and how city planning can be transformed and improved by working with biodiversity and even creating a walkable city. It also considers the impact of climate change and the way building cities can contribute greenhouse gases, heat islands, and the risk of water pollution.
It covers a year in Juliet’s life and the year is 1975. Colour television was introduced in Australia, flared jeans were fashionable, and the landmark National Library of Australia building opened. It was also a time of political upheaval.
1975 brings lots of changes for Juliet, her family, and the whole country.
Juliet lives with her parents and grandmother, and has an older sister at university interstate. Her dad works in a quite senior position in the federal government.
She's entering her final year of primary school, and is expected to complete a year-long, individual project, one that she needs to choose for herself.
Juliet decides to compare her life growing up in the seventies, with her Gran’s at the end of the First World War and afterwards.
It’s the story of a young girl, the narrator, who loves creating art. It’s her favourite thing in the world.
She becomes disillusioned and a bit jealous though, when she thinks someone else is better and their artwork draws more attention.
The someone else is a bird named Vera, who belongs to the girl’s grandfather, and they discover Vera’s artistic talent quite by surprise.
This book is packed with facts and myths. Do you know which is which?
From facts about the earth, humans and science, to animals, history and food, False versus Facts puts the spotlight on information and confirms what’s real and what’s not.
False versus Facts is carefully designed with succinct information, bright ‘fact’ and ‘false’ embellishments, and simple, stylised illustrations.
Presented in a lovely hardcover format, Start with a Teapot is an instructional guide with a difference.
It encourages artists young and old to take one object and turn it into something quite different.
The first example starts with a teapot and shows how it can become an elephant.
It’s as simple (!) as adding eyes and tusks, and that’s the head. Then add a body, legs and tail.
This is a building blocks method, using different shapes.
Standing there is a unicorn. The girl loves unicorns, but what should she do with it?
The unicorn could find a home at the local pet shop, with all the other animals. If only there was a spot in the shop that was just right for a unicorn.
Perhaps a farm instead? It has wide open spaces that are much more welcoming. If only they had the kind of food a unicorn could eat.
The scene for Bush Turkey Easter Hunt it set with a reminder that bush turkeys like to create big, messy nests.
It’s while Bush Turkey is making a nest that he discovers a gold egg. This must be something special because it’s gold and shiny.
As he explores further afield Bush Turkey finds more and more eggs, in a range of colours, but all shiny.
Unfortunately, the humans are not happy with Bush Turkey scratching around. Not only is he causing a mess, he’s unaware that he’s wrecking the Easter egg hunt.
Is Boxing Day too early?
Banjo the Hot Cross Bun certainly arrives in store on Boxing Day, and it causes something of a stir.
Even Banjo is outraged. He feels it’s way too early to be on sale. Hot cross buns are for Easter!
Banjo throws a tantrum and causes chaos in the bakery.
Through the fruit and vegetables, chocolates and lollies, Banjo is intent on making a mess.
How many ocean creatures can you name? How many could you recognise?
Your knowledge will increase exponentially when you read An A-Z of Ocean Creatures.
This is another beautiful creation by Myke Mollard, packed with stunning, detailed illustrations in full colour.
A different letter of the alphabet features across pages, each with a list of creatures, and an underwater picture featuring them.
The names of some of the creatures may surprise or amuse you.
50 puzzles are spread across five cases undertaken by the four sleuths of the After School Detectives Club.
There's Agnes and Quentin who are 11, and Sophie and Luca who are ten. They have skills that complement each other in their sleuthing.
Sophie's got a great memory and finds patterns, and Quentin is a fantastic code breaker, while Luca can blend into the background and observe quietly. Then there's Agnes who can talk suspects into revealing clues.
The children are inspired to begin their sleuthing after finding books by the renowned, real life writer of mysteries, Agatha Christie.
What better way to celebrate the milestone of 20 books in a series than to write a story about a birthday, Greg Heffley's birthday.
Greg's sure his family is planning a surprise party for him. Unfortunately, although he's excited about it, he's also a bit nervous, too.
What could go wrong? Well, his family forgetting his birthday is what.
How can that happen? Well Greg soon finds out what led to it, then in true Heffley style his family decides to make it up to him and plan a super dooper party.
That means decisions for Greg, or so he'd like to think.
Like whether to have a family party at a restaurant, or friend party somewhere like the trampoline park or an escape room or the museum.
This is a nature hide-and-seek, with double page spreads hiding animals. They're camouflaged in their surroundings -- leaves, trees, ground cover.
Illustrations are the centrepiece of Look, See, Find Me, and they're diverse and detailed, bright and beautiful.
Readers are encouraged to spot a variety of creatures.
Can you find the great green bush cricket and European mantis who blend in with a branch full of bright green leaves?
The Last Hollow traces the final days of the Elder Tree and the animals who lived in it.
The first thing that strikes you is just how many animals might make their homes in the one place.
This tree has been standing for more than 200 years, and is home to sugar gliders, cicadas, and even a python.
And in the middle of the tree is a hollow where two red-tailed black cockatoos live. Their names are Marlin and Banksi.
Especially for Harry Potter fans come a set of books called the Pocket Potters: Little Guides to the harry Potter Stories.
There are three titles in the series out now: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. And they're like a special gift book. Hardcover, full colour, and packed with information.
Each book is focused on one of the characters (Harry, Hermione, or Ron).
Working your way through the 32 pages in each book, you're treated to a potted summary of the character's experiences throughout the Harry Potter series.
The books are highly illustrated, highlighting what's memorable or important about the character and their life at Hogwarts, and at home.
They progress through the school years with events like being sorted into their houses, playing quidditch, and learning magical spells.
Did you know that more than 99.9% of species that have ever existed are not extinct?
Have you ever heard of a quark (part of a proton)?
This is the perfect browsable encyclopedia, presented with numerous diagrams, timelines, illustrations, and infographics that give it significant visual appeal.
It covers a broad range of subjects, from the endless skies of the universe, and the wonder of the earth, to the human body, ancient history, and the potential of new and emerging technology.
It's often called the dawn chorus, and that's how this book gets its name.
The Great Dawn Choir, written by Sarah Speedie and illustrated by Cindy Lane, is a beautiful depiction of some of the many and varied Australian birds that contribute to a musical start to the day.
Just like the birds, The Great Dawn Choir has a lyrical rhythm. The text rhymes, and the onomatopoeia of the birdsong is shown in larger flowing font.
Maybe you recognise their names, or maybe you don't, but you probably know their internationally acclaimed picture book, We're Going On a Bear Hunt.
Michael and Helen are back with another collaboration, their first in more than 30 years.
It's called Oh Dear, Look What I Got!
In it, a child's trip to the shop to buy a carrot turns into a succession of mistakes.
Gareth is a fashion designer who designs and makes wonderful creations for animals of all kinds.
He's so famous his clients travel from afar to be dressed in his unique outfits.
One such client is an upper class possum who wants a fabulous dress to give her daughter to wear at her birthday party.
Gareth is inspired and delivers something amazing.
A quick recap. HotDog is a sausage dog. His friends include a Lizzie the lizard and Kev, a cat.
They join HotDog on adventures like rescuing a baby bird, joining the circus, auditioning to become movie stars, and playing soccer.
In Robot Time! HotDog and his friends are excited to go to the grand opening of the robot museum.
Their imaginations run wild as they think about robots. Funny robots, cooking robots, and robots with super long arms.
They discover the robot museum is full of robots of all shapes and sizes.
There's a dinosaur robot, a homework bot, and even giant talking gorilla bots.