New Releases by Bruce Whatley

An ''Ice Age'' meets Diary of a Wombat story Dippy the diprotodon is the BIGGEST and friendliest wombat who lived 100,000 years ago. Dippy has dug a new hole. A BIG hole, which leads him to a strange new world - and even stranger new friends. But do these giant creatures really just want to play? Based on a concept by Ben Smith Whatley and brought to life by the creators of the internationally bestselling Diary of a Wombat, this is an hilarious story of prehistoric daring and chaos set in the fascinating world of ancient Australian megafauna. PRAISE FOR DIPPY''S BIG DAY OUT ''Dippy''s Big Day Out is deceptively simple but fosters adventure, curiosity, self-sufficiency and getting enough rest after play.'' - Books+Publishing

A special new edition of the much-loved modern classic -- celebrating 20 years of Australia''s best-loved wombat, Mothball MondayMorning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate.Scratched. Night: Ate. A typical day. Don''t be fooled. this wombat leads a very busy and demanding life. She wrestles unknown creatures, runs her own digging business, and most difficult of all - trains her humans. She teaches them when she would like carrots, when she would like oats and when she would like both at the same time. But these humans are slow learners. Find out how one wombat - between scratching, sleeping and eating - manages to fit the difficult job of training humans into her busy schedule. PRAISE FOR DIARY OF A WOMBAT: ''One read and Diary of a Wombat was an instant favourite, as it is with children across the country'' - Kids'' Book Review

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary, this is the story of Mothball, one of the world''s most famous wombats - and where it all began. She is small. She is scared. She is lost. She is a baby wombat who needs a home. She is Mothball, a wombat destined to become famous. This is the (almost) true story of one small wombat who learnt how to train her humans - and inspired the internationally best-selling picture book Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. AWARDS: Winner - ACT Notable Book Awards 2023

Ben Lawson was preparing for another Christmas away from home when the Black Summer bushfires began to burn their way across Australia''s eastern coast. As the bushfires continued to rage into the new year on an unprecedented scale, Ben, feeling angry, helpless and broken-hearted as he watched the devastation from across the ocean, sat down and put his feelings into words. To My Country is an ode to the endurance of the Australian spirit and the shared love of our country. In the true Aussie spirit, Ben and Allen & Unwin will be donating proceeds of To My Country to The Koala Hospital. ''A delightful love letter to a homeland: the kind only an Australian could write. Full of humour, charm and deeply felt belonging. And to think of all the orphaned koalas who will benefit from you buying and enjoying this wonderful little book ...'' -Stephen Fry- ''An impassioned cry from the big, kind heart of a big, kind man.'' -Tim Minchin- ''Ben Lawson''s love of his homeland inspires us all to think of our own roots . . . and the need to protect them.'' -Dolly Parton- ''Ben Lawson''s book is a heartfelt reminder of how desperately we need to think about our future as a country. His sincerity is moving. I dare you not to cry.'' -Julia Stone- ''Ben Lawson writes in the tradition of his namesake Henry Lawson; an eloquent bush ballad that mourns the tragic fate of one billion bushfire victims.'' -Barry Humphries-

Bestselling Mothball is back -- with birthday cake! (Carrot, of course.) She eats, she sleeps, she scratches. But today it''s Mothball''s birthday and it''s time to celebrate! Created by author Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, Happy Birthday Wombat is a very funny picture book about enjoying a special day -- as seen through the eyes of the world''s most famous wombat. PRAISE FOR DIARY OF A WOMBAT AND OTHER BOOKS STARRING MOTHBALL ''French and Whatley have conjured an affectionate, believable wombat self-portrait'' -- The New York Times Book Review ''I absolutely love the tone of Mothball''s diary entries -- the dry brevity and classic wombat behaviour that''s made this gorgeous creature an Aussie literary treasure. Whatley''s divinely funny illustrations yet again make for an all-rounder of a book that will loosen smiles on readers of any age'' -- Kids'' Book Review

From talented duo Rosie Smith and Bruce Whatley comes a fresh and funny book that celebrates the extraordinary artistic genius of Leonardo da Vinci. Danny da Vinci and his best friend Mick Angelo are adventurers - artistic adventurers - who share a passion for painting and sculpture.Every year the Duke of Milan holds an art exhibition, and this year the Duke has asked Danny''s Uncle Leo to paint his portrait.Danny and Mick want to enter something in the exhibition too, something special. Danny''s sister Lisa has an idea, but why should they listen to her? She''s such a moaner!Ages: 8+

An ''Ice Age'' meets Diary of a Wombat story Dippy is a diprotodon, the BIGGEST, friendliest wombat who lived 100,000 years ago. All Dippy wants is happy friends, a place to sleep and lots to eat. Who knew that could be such an adventure? Based on a concept by Ben Smith Whatley and brought to life by the creators of the internationally bestselling Diary of a Wombat, this is a hilarious story of prehistoric daring and chaos set in the fascinating world of ancient Australia megafauna. PRAISE ''Dippy''s Big Day Out is deceptively simple but fosters adventure, curiosity, self-sufficiency and getting enough rest after play.'' - Books+Publishing

On my first day, I will meet new friends and learn new things... What about you? Whether big or small, feathered or furry, the first day of school can be a lot of fun! Beautifully illustrated with delightful animals, My First Day at School captures the fun of learning and making new friends at school.

Rubens dreams were of places that made no sense to him. Places that didnt exist. At least not anymore. Ruben is a triumph of Bruce Whatleys imaginative and technical skills.

''This is a cheeky story for grandparents to share with their grandkids'' -- Reading Time She eats. She sleeps. She scratches. And like all grandmas, she thinks her grandson is the best-behaved baby ever. But this baby wombat has other ideas ... Created by author Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, this delightfully funny book celebrates the love and joy that being a grandma can bring.

The school sports day is on and Mothball wombat is competing! She eats. She sleeps. She scratches. But can this wombat win? From the award-winning, bestselling creators of Diary of a Wombat. This is a book about a wombat ... winning. Yes, Mothball has become an athlete, albeit a little accidentally. In her never-ending quest for carrots Mothball stumbles upon the children at the local school competing in the school sports. And despite her somewhat limiting physique and lack of training, Mothball manages to go home with a gold medal. Why puff and pant when you can eat, sleep and scratch? PRAISE ''A great addition to any first reader''s library and a book to be savoured many times, alone or in shared reading. Highly Recommended.'' -- Reading Time

But the band played ''Waltzing Matilda'' when we stopped to bury our slain. We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs; then we started all over again. Eric Bogle''s famous and familiar Australian song about the Battle of Gallipoli explores the futility of war with haunting power. Now Bruce Whatley''s evocative illustrations bring a heart-rending sense of reality to the tale. A timely story for every generation to share.

To understand the concept of the Magic Car Wash, think Transformers meets Cars! In the town of Tyre Flats, Kit the mechanic has a magical car wash, where vehicles mix and match fronts and ends to become superheroes. Book 2: It''s Red''s birthday and he is now old enough to attend his first fire. But when Mrs Bunn''s bakery is threatened by fire, it''s Maggie the racing car who helps Red. Will Red ever be brave enough to face a fire on his own?

There''s no cutting corners on this durable edition featuring Pete and other favourite friends at Sean''s Sheep Salon. the award-winning team behind Diary of a Wombat have joined forces again to create another highly amusing picture book.Sean is a shearer and instead of a sheepdog to help him, he''s got a sheep sheep - Pete. After being rejected by the other shearers and their dogs, Sean and Pete set up a sheep salon in town. Sheep from everywhere arrive to have their wool shorn in the latest style and even the shearers'' dogs end up arriving for a cut in order to look gorgeous.Jackie and Bruce have created the perfect combination of words and illustrations in this irreverent look at the world of sheep shearing.Ages 4-9

From the creators of the delightful QUEEN VICTORIA''S UNDERPANTS comes the story of the first ''traditional'' Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree and presents for the family, as seen from the point of view of Queen Victoria''s dogs. Something strange is happening at the palace and the dogs can''t work it out. the cooks are busy ... are royal visitors arriving? Mysterious parcels are arriving. And most curious of all ... what is that tree doing in Prince Albert''s study? From the creators of the delightful QUEEN VICtORIA''S UNDERPANtS come the story of the first ''traditional'' Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree and presents for the family, as seen from the point of view of Queen Victoria''s dogs.

It''s Christmas - from a wombat''s point of view. It''s Christmas! And it''s Christmas for Mothball the Wombat, too.She eats, she sleeps, she scratches,but on Christmas Eve ... Created by writer Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, CHRISTMAS WOMBAT is another irresistible picture book by this extraordinary award-winning pair. Ages 3+

Perfect for everyone who loves a funny dog story, this anniversary edition is sure to delight a whole new generation of readers. Everyone sees my dog differently. Some people even think she''s the ugliest dog in the world. But I think she''s beautiful ... in a sloppy kind of way! Written and illustrated by one of Australia''s award-winning and much-admired picture book creators, this anniversary edition is sure to delight a whole new generation of readers.

A magical Christmas story from a master storyteller Christmas Eve is drawing close. High on a shelf in an old toy shop, the wind-up Space Ride is gathering dust. It hasn’t worked in years. The tin toys remember how bright, how shining, how exhilarating the Space Ride was. But the new toys don’t believe them. The tin toys are determined: this Christmas, they’ll prove that even old toys can be magical.

Smudge and his family have got a problem to solve - Smudge''s legs are so short that he can''t jump into the car! One of the children in the family devises a series of ingenious ways of getting Smudge into the car, but none of them work. Finally, it is Mum who solves the problem. Ages 5+ Smudge and his family have got a problem to solve - Smudge''s legs are so short that he can''t jump into the car! One of the children in the family devises a series of ingenious ways of getting Smudge into the car, but none of them work. Finally, it is Mum who solves the problem. this is the book for all those who fell in love with the Ugliest Dog in the World and have been wondering what became of that irresistible creature. Ages 5+

A classic picture book from one of Australia’s best-loved illustrators Annie’s grandfather carves the Little Drummer Boy from the leg of an old oak table as a Christmas gift for his small granddaughter. And throughout her life Annie’s favourite decoration travels the world with her and always hangs on the Christmas tree at her house, close to the top. Seasons and fashions come and go and Annie has children and grandchildren of her own but the pair remain together, although as they age they both start to fade. But they put that down to being well loved.

A simple, classic book describing all the brilliant things that mums do - featuring a cast of hilarious animal characters.

In the Land of Noses everybody''s nose did something special. Except for Nog. In this charming and quirky story Bruce Whatley plays with noses and their functions in the Land of Noses. There are running noses, picked noses, blocked noses . . . all kinds of noses! Nog thinks his nose just sits on his face and does nothing at all . . . until ''trouble'' arrives and Nog smells it first.

Companion non fiction title for the bestselling Diary of a Wombat that explores everything you''ve ever wanted to know about wombats. Jackie French loves wombats. She''s been living with and studying them for over 30 years, and they have been featured characters in many of her books. Now her beloved wombats take center stage, as Jackie reveals everything you have ever wanted to know about them - from their zoological history to habitation and habits. Jackie also shares some personal stories from her experiences living with these wonderful creatures. There are also wombat Q&As and wombat jokes sprinkled throughout the book.

The Tinytoreum takes you to the world of Shaggy Gully where bush-genius George Gunna Goanna began his career as an inventor. Using just his imagination and whatever bits and pieces he could find, Gunna created many fabulous things for his friends and family. This book showcases just a few of them. This is the story that Jackie French and Bruce Whatley came up with when we invited them to weave a tale around these smaller-than-life-size objects from the Museums collection. The result is a journey of the imagination that brings these little things to life in a surprising, funny and extremely inventive way.

When the rabbits decide to stop delivering Easter eggs, all the bush animals want to be the new Easter Bunny. After all, Easter wouldn''t be the same without eggs! But how can the rabbits choose the best animal for the job? The lop-eared rabbit has an idea - and that''s when the Easter games begin.

The three little pigs go off to build their separate houses one out of straw, one out of sticks, and one out of bricks. But wait! Who just spilled juice on the first little pig′s house? Why are the pigs turning green? And what is that mysterious Voice the pigs keep hearing? Ages 4 - 8

A young boy imagines that he''s a Cowboy Pirate. With his big, black horse and small, sailing boat he rides the ocean plains to lasso stray whales.

A family on vacation tries to find some crabs.

Reports on an experiment to begin reading instruction in both English and Spanish for Spanishspeaking children in kindergarten.