Book picks similar to
An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree by Jackie Hosking
christmas
picture-book
creativity
elc4
The Multiple Effects Of Rainshadow
Thea Astley - 1996
Is he evil? Or crazy? His violence is in fact a mirror for the brutality of Australian life - and is a dim reflection at that, in a country where atrocities by whites against blacks are so ingrained few question them.The effects of the rampage ripple out from the island to link the fates of those who witnessed it, across the north and down through the decades. It is a time when silence in the face of tyranny is at its loudest. When allegiance to English niceties is confounded by the landscape and by the weather. And change is a slow wind that brings little real difference.
Corporal Hitler’s Pistol
Tom Keneally - 2021
Rural communities have always been a melting pot and many are happy to accept a diverse bunch … as long as they don’t overstep. Set in a town he knows very well, in this novel Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.
Birrarung Wilam: A Story from Aboriginal Australia
Aunty Joy Murphy - 2019
Below, Birrarung begins its long winding path down to palem warreen.Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly and Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri people Aunty Joy Murphy join to tell the Indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra River — from its source to its mouth and from its prehistory to the present day. The writing dazzles with poetic descriptions of the trees, plants, and wildlife that thrive in harmony along the iconic waterway. Lush and vibrant acrylic paintings from Indigenous illustrator Lisa Kennedy make the mighty Yarra come to life — coursing under a starry sky, drawing people to its sunny shores, mirroring a searing orange sunset. Jewel-like details in the illustrations offer opportunities for discovery on every page. As gorgeous and powerful as the river itself, this stunner invites all to come to Wilam: home.End matter includes an authors' note and a glossary of the Woiwurrung words used in the story.
The Application of Pressure
Rachael Mead - 2020
They maintain their sanity through a friendship built on black humour, but as the constant exposure to trauma takes its toll, both, in different ways, must fight to preserve their mental health and relationships – even with one another. How much pressure can they handle, and what will happen when they finally crack?With each chapter revolving around an emergency – some frightening, some moving, some simply funny –Rachael Mead digs beneath the surface of gore and grit to lay bare the humanity of emergency services personnel and their patients. This breathtaking novel reveals not only the trauma of a life lived on the front line of medicine, but also the essential, binding friendships that make such a life possible.
The Touch of the Master's Hand
Myra Brooks Welch - 1997
First published in 1921, the poem's message about the individual worth of those often overlooked strikes a familiar chord in a society struggling to come to terms with its own victims of homelessness, drug abuse, and alienation.The poem is made new with the addition of Greg Newbold's illustrations. Newbold's images -- which are rich in detail, and made even more so by his use of color and light and his painterly style -- evoke a bygone era that is old-fashioned, small-town, pleasantly nostalgic. Newbold's work in Touch of the Master's Hand has already been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts magazine with a 1996 Award of Merit.
Tracks in the Snow
Wong Herbert Yee - 2003
So off through the woods she tramps in hopeful discovery. Where will the tracks lead her and what might she find? Come join in the search!
Imagine
John Lennon - 2017
Featuring the lyrics of John Lennon’s iconic song and illustrations by the award-winning artist Jean Jullien, this poignant and timely picture book dares to imagine a world at peace. Imagine will be published in partnership with human rights organization, Amnesty International.
Counting Crows
Kathi Appelt - 2015
So they fly out of their nest with snacking in mind, and snack they do. Snack one, snack two, snack three—all the way to a dozen! But before they have time to complain about bellyaches, they have a bigger problem: a cat has been eyeing them…as potential snacks! Can these well-fed crows become well-FLED crows? Read and find out in this counting book from Newbery Finalist and two-time National Book Award Nominee Kathi Appelt, with spot-on illustrations from Rob Dunlavey. It’s the cat’s meow!
Someone Builds the Dream
Lisa Wheeler - 2021
It takes much more than ONE.This is an exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world--from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park, and even the very picture book that you are reading. An architect may dream up the plans for a house, but someone has to actually work the saws and pound the nails. This book is a thank-you to the skilled women and men who work tirelessly to see our dreams brought to life.
Quinn Says Goodbye: Friends May Go Away, but God Is Here to Stay
Christie Thomas - 2019
When Quinn the Owl makes a new friend, a firefly named Blink, she is filled with joy. But one night, Quinn wakes up to find her friend has disappeared in a flash. “Momma, why didn’t God make Blink stay with me? Didn’t he know how much I loved him?”“God doesn’t always stop bad things from happening, Quinn. But He does promise that He will always be with you, and He will never stop being your friend.” Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written, Quinn Says Goodbye is designed for children dealing with different kinds of loss, whether it be death of a pet or a family member, or simply the loss of a favorite toy. Remind little ones that although people and things might not be in their life forever, God will never leave them.
Moo Hoo
Candace Ryan - 2012
MOO HOO! They do everything together, like make music (TWO COO) and go trick-or-treating together (BOO! BOO!). But when a strange playmate shows up (ROO NEW), they will discover that three is better than two (NEW TRUE CREW).From the team that brought you last year's adorable hit RIBBIT RABBIT, MOO HOO combines another spare and effortlessly clever text with retro and eye-catching illustrations, and is sure to delight young readers and their parents alike.
That Fruit Is Mine!
Anuska Allepuz - 2018
When five fruit-loving elephants spot a scrumptious hard-to-reach fruit high up in a tree, it's a race to see who can claim it first! But after one too many fumbles, the elephants begin to lose their cool, and the highly coveted fruit is whisked away by the teeny-tiniest of all jungle creatures—mice! The elephants soon realize they have a lot to learn from this cooperative little bunch.
Bitter Nothings
Vicki Tyley - 2012
Her father is the prime suspect. And things are about to get a whole lot worse…Graphic designer Dervla Johns wakes one morning to the news that her father, Warren, is missing and her stepmother and step-siblings were found dead in their beds. While the police hunt for Warren, Dervla searches for answers. Could her father really be a killer? Refusing to be warned off by police threats, or intimidated by the reporter who appears to be following her, she delves into her family’s past.But as she uncovers one shocking secret after another, Dervla’s world is rocked further by another murder – and she finds herself desperately trying to untangle a web of illicit love and betrayal. Soon, Dervla must face her greatest fear… or suffer the same deadly fate as her stepmother.“If you like mystery fiction with a psychological flair, Vicki Tyley will deliver. She understands that fiction is about real people, and that real people have their dangerous flaws.” –Scott Nicholson, Bestselling author of Liquid Fear
Gotham
Nick Earls - 2016
It reveals how hollow celebrities cast their spell. Think, Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe.
Nest
Inga Simpson - 2014
The only person she sees regularly is Henry, who comes after school for drawing lessons.When a girl in Henry's class goes missing, Jen is pulled back into the depths of her own past. When she was Henry's age she lost her father and her best friend Michael - both within a week. The whole town talked about it then, and now, nearly forty years later, they're talking about it again.Everyone is waiting - for the girl to be found and the summer rain to arrive. At last, when the answers do come, like the wet, it is in a drenching, revitalising downpour.