Booklists

From emus to magic puddings, this feast of Australian poems for children is fresh and familiar. Written by grown-ups and kids, with beautiful illustrations, it reveals what is special about growing up in Australia.

In 100 Ways to Fly you'll find a poem for every mood - poems to make you laugh, feel silly or to twist your tongue, to make you courageous enough for a new adventure or to help you soar.

Poetry, playfully illustrated by Ian Cunliffe, that explores the joys and disappointments of toys - what children want as gifts, what they receive, what they grow tired of and what they break.

Lucy is about to start high-school. She has a cool new friend, Briony, and feels she's outgrown the school holiday 'Overseas Adventure Days' she shares with her grandfather, a retired geography teacher. When Lucy asks to spend those days with Briony, instead of doing geography research and international craft and cookery with Gramps, her mother refuses and reveals a poignant reason. However, when an emergency threatens more than just Lucy's Fridays with Gramps, she reflects on all they've shared, and what is most important in her life.

Inside this book, you can meet Dave, the brave, and discover where worms learn to squirm. But, beware, there is also an exploding cow. Very humorous and very, very short stories told in rhyme.

'Where's all the garbage and delightful bin juice? This trash can is empty, I feel like a goose! That dirty truck is stealing my food! It's simply not on. How terribly rude!' Ibis has a grand plan to take back her trash! But look out, she's got some very hungry competition...

A collection of poetry from some of Australia's most talented authors and illustrators. There are poems about bed time, baths, brothers and kabooms to enchant and entertain children and adults.

Brucie, the joey kangaroo, loves reading books and doing science reports. When a catastrophe occurs that will prevent Santa from delivering the presents, Brucie must use all his smarts to help Santa fly the ute on Christmas Eve.

Each day Leroy, who's in grade one, and his older sister, Ruby, catch the bus to school. On every trip, DJ, an angry high school student, makes Leroy's life a misery through bullying, along with threats of what might happen if he tells anyone. Ruby encourages Leon to tell either his teacher or their parents, but Leroy resists. DJ's power is too strong.

This beautifully illustrated poetry book accurately describes fifteen different species of butterfly.

This classic Australian poem, more than a hundred years old, comes alive with fresh illustrations of the outback that Paterson loved so well.

Imagine if war came to your town and destroyed everything you had known. Imagine you made a long journey to safety but were not welcomed and turned away. Imagine then how the gift of something small from one child could change your life.

Full of fanciful exaggerations, a collection of poems about wicked beasts with wicked habits. Meet the poor toad that jumps to France at his own peril, the pig who ponders on the meaning of life and the anteater that gets the wrong end of the stick.

Through free-verse and rhyming poems, celebrate the joy and freedom of being a child in the Australian landscape.

A poetry collection that is a curious compilation of regal, traditional and everyday living themes in a wide range of poetry forms.

Have some ear-tickling fun with this modern treasure trove of poetry, featuring classic favourites, some brand new ones and lots of tongue twisters.

Join Father Koala as he reads some Aussie fairytales to the young koalas in Gumleaf Lodge. Jack climbs the choko vine, the princess meets the cane toad, the Kangaroos Gruff outwits the bunyip under the bridge and Little Red Riding Hood is almost eaten by the dingo.

Join Father Koala and his little mates as they romp through a selection of Aussie nursery rhymes. Little Miss Golden works on her Holden, Black Swan swims in an old billabong, Jack and Jill check boundary fences, Swaggie puts the billy on and we all have tea.

As the flames of a bushfire approaches, one small wombat shelters with other animals in her burrow all throughout a fire-eaten night. This forms the beginning of their courageous journey to safety and survival.

An anthology of riddles, limericks, rhymes, short humorous poems and tongue twisters that are a mixture of old and new.

From the dust cover, end pages and secret illustrations on the front and back covers, whatever you love about the ocean this book of poetry will have it. The gorgeous illustrations will transport you from harbours and ships, to joyful days at the seaside, and the fascinating world below the waves. These poems use beautiful imagery to explore the mood of the sea. There is a large surprise to find in the centre.

Twenty-four poems delightfully inspire readers to consider the passage of time across days, months, or millennia. Some of the poems are for the very young and others for more sophisticated readers.

Elma Mitchell warns that poems should come with government warnings because words can seriously affect your heart. This is a collection of poems to make you happy. Poems that can be read aloud. Poems to be read silently. Poems to share with others. Poems to discover the world and joy others feel too. These poems have been collected and compiled by Roger McGough and feature famous writers from the past and new poets waiting for you to discover. From William Blake to A F Harrold.

Voices from all over the world including English, Scottish, Caribbean, Hungarian and American, are represented in this lively poetry collection, all linked by the word 'new'.

While not particularly frightening, the poems in this British anthology are delightfully appealing to children because they appear so distasteful to adults. Topics include being left out, making mistakes at school and those niggling night-time fears.

A collection of funny, weird and wacky poems especially for children who think they do not like poetry. There are poems about zombies, dogs, haircuts and grandpas beard, to list just a few. with many more to keep you laughing and rhyming throughout this collection. A fun way to enjoy poetry and learn about language without ever really having to admit it.

A book of whimsical poems for children.

From little things big things grow - look what happens to Isabella's garden with just the planting of one seed.

Machines clank, rattle, whine, whoosh, whiz, thump and grind. In these quirky poems, find your favourite machine and solve the puzzle with a clue in each illustration.

Mina wants her own bedroom more than anything else in the whole wide world. And it's almost ready. But when Mina's parents take in an unexpected house guest, they give her room away. At first Mina is too upset to speak. She doesn't care that the new boy, Azzami, needs a place to stay. Then she sees his drawings, and for the first time really thinks about the life of the quiet boy in front of her.

This collection of poems, rhymes and raps is full of fun. It features eye catching art work from Australia's best illustrators. The raps and rhymes are designed to be performed, try reading some of them without turning into a rapper.

An illustrated collection of poems from an Australian poet.

Let's dream of what we can become, Mother Earth. Explore this collection of beautifully illustrated poems about nature to celebrate the wonder of our precious world.

Michael Rosen's witty and clever verses are brought to life by Quentin Blake's detailed art in a beautifully produced book. An audio version of the book is available. Gems include 'Don't put mustard in your custard'.

Anne Bell writes with love about Australia, the country and the city, the old and the new, young people and old timers. She has a keen sense of history, an eye for details and an ear for the music of words.

When Henry dies, his wife can't see why they should stop doing things together, as they've always done. In fact, she can't help going a little bit over the top, imagining all sorts of wonderful outings, including dinosaur rides and dolphin-drawn water ski sessions.

When a little wanderer goes out walking with her gran and her brother, she doesn't see many of the things that are too tall or too fast. But, the small child can see other things, such as the tiny insects, the lizard hiding under the brush, the insect that looks like a twig and the fuzzy zigzag pencil lines, scribbled on the bark of a tree.

A delightful selection of simple poems for the young to read. Beautiful illustrations complement the translations, with each poem in English and its original language. Languages include Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian, Jamaican, Iranian, Samoan and more.

This book brings new life to five of Edward Lear's best-loved nonsense verses. Zany characters leap across the pages in a colourful, fantasy world, where nothing is quite what it seems and anything is possible.

A wonderful collection of poems that tell us what cats get up to when we aren't watching. Some are sane, some are mad, some are good and some are bad. Meet magical Mr Mistoffelees, sleepy Old Deuteronomy and curious Rum Tum Tugger. But, you'll be lucky to meet Macavity because Macavity's not there.

An illustrated poem evoking the Australian landscape, its animals and its indigenous people. The connection between the people and the land is made with sensitivity through the language and the art.

A compilation of words and poetry about childhood games and activities.

This collection includes dogs, cats, budgies, bugs, tarantulas, leopards, crocodiles, rabbits, dolphins, porcupines, werewolves, vultures and pterodactyls, every pet you could possibly imagine and more.

Meet LONG JOHN McRON, SHIP'S COOK . . . and the most unusual babysitter you've ever seen. Long John has a whole crew of wild pirates in tow, and -- for two intrepid children -- he's about to transform a perfectly ordinary evening into a riotous adventure beneath a pirate moon. It's time to make some PIRATE STEW. Pirate Stew! Pirate Stew! Pirate Stew for me and you! Pirate Stew, Pirate Stew Eat it and you won't be blue You can be a pirate too!

A funny collection of poems all about one school. The verses cover such things as playtime, the school outing, French lessons, the three Rs, nicknames, best friends and a host of other familiar topics.

A collection of amusing poems on everyday life. These funny, touching and thought-provoking poems depict the lives of young people at home, school and play with honesty through the eyes of the children.

A selection of poems to enchant the eyes and intellect. Striking and imaginative artworks illustrate the delightfully unravelling threads of words and sentences.

Attractively presented poems and illustrations that focus on seasons, festivals and special days around the world.

A book of spoonerisms that kids will love. Zany, witty verse full of innovative topsy turvey language.

A tale of two young dingoes who set out on a log to see the America's Cup yacht race in Fremantle WA, and take the long way round.

Who drew on those tree trunks? Charlie asked Max. They'll be in big trouble if Mummy sees that! Join four children on a walk through the bush as they make all sorts of wild discoveries.

One of many Milligan classics, rich with his zany sense of humour and illustrated with his own quirky art.

A quirky anthology from playground rhymes to Shakespeare, including new, old, multicultural, funny, sad, thoughtful, short, long and classic poems.

A variety of animals with a very positive attitude to attending school are featured in this book of poetry that explores school life in verse. There are a whole host of animal characters from Mr Dragon, the Headmaster, to Miss Poodle, the French teacher.

There was a new girl called Lena, Who laughed like a wicked hyena. She was really extreme, Had a terrible scream. She really couldn't get any meaner!

Discover Mt Kilimanjaro in East Africa and the significance it has for the wildlife that lives within its shadow, on its slopes and high on its peak.

The Great Barrier Reef's environs and inhabitants, and the delicate relationship between the two, are explored in this unusual ecosystem. A prose poem with vibrant illustrations provides a glimpse into an unseen, underwater world.

Every Thursday a group of animals meet in the forest to take turns telling rhyming stories. Their light-hearted verses are featured with illustrations of all the animals.

A companion to 'Treasury of nursery rhymes', this appealing collection of familiar and unfamiliar verse is arranged into eight sections by theme with attractive illustrations.

An entertaining and humorous mix of poems, including nursery rhyme parodies and classics.

Peace is a tissue blossom, a whisper on the wind. War may never truly end but there can be homecomings. This poem explores what happens when the guns stop snarling.

The animals at the zoo select their books and they all treat them in different ways. Comic, rhyming poetry tells about llamas reading while eating their llunches and unruly bears licking illustrations right off the page.

Maestro Mouse is getting ready for one ginormous symphonic surprise! Can you figure out what he is up to? Can you spot the clues he's left behind on his adventure? Follow your guide, Maestro Mouse on his wild ride. You'll meet his friends who live in jungles, ponds, trees, fields and under seas. There are secret lessons just for you.

"Buzz off, bin chicken, you stinky sensation! Find somewhere else for you dinner reservation!" Ibis is on the lookout for food, but she's not welcome anywhere! Until she spies the most amazing dinner of all...