New Releases by Ursula Dubosarsky

It was a sunny, light-aired day, and we walked quickly down the street strewn with gumnuts. I remember taking several deep breaths, as if to reassure myself that whatever had happened to my strong, smiling uncle, I was still alive and was going to keep on living, and that life and breath were very good things. Discoveries from the past, hopes for the future - and the decisions we make on a knife edge that clarify our own sense of self. These elements inform Ursula Dubosarsky''s multi-award-winning novels and are in sharp, bright evidence in these eleven beautifully crafted short stories, by turns poignant, funny, reflective and joyful - nearly always mercurial - collected together for the first time. The most graceful, most original writer for young people in Australia-probably the world (Sonya Hartnett).

An irresistibly fun story about the joy of having a wild and reckless friend from the beloved and bestselling author of The Terrible Plop.

The ants are heading out on a very important expedition. What will they need to take with them? It''s a wild journey! And in the end, it''s the littlest ant who leads the others to discover the most important thing of all. A book about a very special book.

Hook them on reading for life, with the fully illustrated adventures of Mary and Marcus. Contains five hilarious and silly stories, perfect for emerging readers! Mary is the happiest panda in the world. She loves to sing and dance and play the ukulele. But sometimes things get out of hand! Lucky she has her best friend, Marcus the snake, to help her out. From Australian Children''s Laureate Ursula Dubosarsky and award-winning illustrator Andrew Joyner comes five madcap stories about two very different friends.

An Australia Reads exclusive story about a boy who does a series of odd jobs for his eccentric neighbours, from the current Australian Children''s Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop.

Ursula Dubosarsky is the Australian Children''s Laureate for 2020 - 2021 Lara had always wished she was a dog, and one day, just for a short time, she actually became one. This is how it happened. In a mulberry brick house on the harbour that Lara explores while her mother cleans, Lara meets Pierre, a boy about her age with a beautiful antique puppet theatre. With his puppets, he tells her a story about a boy whose family has been eaten by wolves. The boy is lost. He needs to find his grandmother. Lara takes the part of a dog, but suddenly she can no longer tell where she ends and Dog begins. Or is she Wolf? Caught up in Pierre''s story, Lara has to fight to protect her identity - and her new friend. Can she help Pierre find his way home? Pierre''s Not There is a lyrical, captivating and imaginative story that can be read on many levels.

Ursula Dubosarsky is the Australian Children''s Laureate for 2020-2021 ''How much money do I have in my piggy bank?'' asked Hercules. ''Actually,'' said Aunt Alligator, ''I don''t think you have a piggy bank, Hercules.'' Hercules sighed. No piggy bank, no money. I need a job, he thought. That''s what I need. He got out his paints, his paintbrush and a big piece of plain paper. On the paper, he painted some words. NEED SOMETHING DONE? ASK HERCULES QUICK!

Have you ever wished you could fly? Well a boy called Icarus and his father built themselves wings out of feathers and wax. Up they flew into the huge blue sky. But it wasn''t as easy as it looked! Here are eleven easy-to-read, exciting and funny plays for children by multi award-winning author Ursula Dubosarsky, based on stories from ancient Greek and Roman myths, where all sorts of very strange things can happen. A girl becomes a spider, a statue comes to life, a couple turn into a pair of lions and that''s just a few of the startling transformations. Inspired by the Roman poet Ovid¿s Metamorphoses, these plays are great fun for group performance, reading aloud, or just curling up by yourself with your eyes wide open, ready to be amazed!With lively illustrations by Amy Golbach.

Becky only wants fairy bread at her birthday party. But there''s so much left over, and she won''t throw it out. So Becky thinks of some very strange things to do with it all. Suggested level: primary.

SHORT-LISTED: CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, 2019 This is a story about a boy called Pender and a kangaroo called Brindabella, about how they became friends, and all the things that happened to them because of it. Pender and his father live in an old house made of honey-coloured stone in the bush by the river, with only the company of his father''s paintings and the loyal dog, Billy-Bob. Then, on one winter morning, a gunshot amongst the trees changes everything. When Pender rescues Brindabella from the pouch of her murdered mother, an unusual friendship blossoms between the lonely boy and the orphaned joey. But Brindabella is no ordinary kangaroo. And though Pender has saved her life, the untameable wildness of the bush--and freedom--call to her... Lyrical and unforgettable, Brindabella explores the brutal beauty of the Australian bush.

"Geraldine hadn''t wanted the white guinea pig at all. But then a single, sudden act of sympathy exploded into something difficult and dangerous, like a kiss given to the wrong person."Winner of the New South Wales State Literary Award, the Victorian Premier''s Literary Award, and shortlisted for the Children''s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award.T A novel about childhood, change and the mystery of a missing guinea pig. Filled with Ursula Dubosarsky''s signature comic characters and situations as eleven-year-old Geraldine searches for belonging, both in her family and the wider world. "You''ll find yourself stopping to savour the small but penetrating insights offered on every page. It''s a wonderful piece of writing that improves on every reading." The Age"A sad tale? Actually not. You''ll be moved by the sudden warm ending, with its lightness and wit, this is a comedy of some depth." The ObserverURSULA DUBOSARSKY was born in Sydney and is the author of over 50 books for children and young adults. She has won multiple national literary prizes and has been nominated for both the Hans Christian Anderson and Astrid Lindgren international awards for children''s literature. Cover illustration and design by Amy Golbach

Much more fun to be had with the English language at the hands of this literary duo. Discover hidden and silent languages, the secrets of grammar, dying words, and newborn words...

A boy stood in the playground under the big fig tree. ''He can''t speak English,'' the children whispered. Sydney, 1942. The war is coming to Australia - not only with the threat of bombardment, but also the arrival of refugees from Europe. Dreamy Columba''s world is growing larger. She is drawn to Ellery, the little boy from far away, and, together with her highly practical best friend Hilda, the three children embark on an adventure through the harbour-side streets - a journey of discovery and terror, in pursuit of the mysterious blue cat ...

It starts with one little goat. It ends with one little goat. But what happens in between is a whirlwind of nonsense and fun. Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner make the most of their advanced sense of the ridiculous in this hilarious read-aloud traditional tale. Fabulous repetition and shout-aloud sound effects are complemented by increasingly hilarious illustrations. The text is based on a traditional song recited at the close of the Jewish Passover.

The sampler includes chapters from Ursula Dubosarsky’s The Golden Day, Patrick Ness’s More Than This, and Todd Mitchell’s Backwards. The Golden Day When their teacher goes missing during an outing, eleven girls grapple with the aftermath in this haunting, exquisitely told psychological mystery. More Than This From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life — or perhaps afterlife — of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world. Backwards An edge-of-your-seat thriller asks: Is it possible to fix a tragic future by changing the past — while experiencing life backwards?

Perplexing puzzles, mind-boggling mazes and cracking codes feature in this series of stories about a pair of guinea-pig detectives - Coco Carlomagno, the easily-startled Chief of Police, and his more sensible cousin, Alberta.

Coco Carlomagno is the well - respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city. Coco''s nerves are all a - jangle. Deep in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, the tomb of the famous, much - lamented tango singer Anibal Manzana has everyone baffled. It is talking! Could it be haunted? Luckily Coco has his commonsensical cousin Alberta on hand to help. Can they unravel this ghostly riddle?

Coco Carlomagno is the well-respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city. Coco''s nerves are all a-jangle. Deep in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, the tomb of the famous, much-lamented tango singer Anibal Manzana has everyone baffled. It is talking! Could it be haunted? Luckily Coco has his commonsensical cousin Alberta on hand to help. Can they unravel this ghostly riddle?

Coco is the well-respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city...Coco Carlomagno is trying to avert a national disaster. La Bella Cucharita, the highly strung world-famous opera singer, is due to make her return to the stage after an unfortunate nerve-wracking incident - but a strange message has her rattled. Who on earth would send La Bella Cucharita mysterious notes on the eve of such an eagerly awaited performance?..Luckily Coco is on the case, and with a little help from his logic-loving cousin Alberta, he can discover just who is behind the quivering quavers...

Perplexing puzzles, mind-boggling mazes and cracking codes feature in this series of stories about a pair of guinea-pig detectives - Coco Carlomagno, the easily-startled Chief of Police, and his more sensible cousin, Alberta.

By the much-loved storyteller Ursula Dubosarsky comes this bouncing story about two cheeky koalas brought to life by Andrew Joyner''s classic artwork. Here is Tim. And here is Ed. Same ears, same eyes, Same feet, same head. Tim and Ed love to be together all the time. So what will happen when Ed goes away for the night? From the award-winning team that brought you The Terrible Plop and Too Many Elephants in this House comes this energetic and delightful story about the beginnings of independence, and about being the same - but different! Tim and Ed is a tale to be read with laughter and enjoyed by all.

When their teacher goes missing during an outing, eleven girls grapple with the aftermath in this haunting, exquisitely told psychological mystery. The Vietnam War rages overseas, but back at home, in a year that begins with the hanging of one man and ends with the drowning of another, eleven schoolgirls embrace their own chilling history when their teacher abruptly goes missing on a field trip. Who was the mysterious poet they had met in the Garden? What actually happened in the seaside cave that day? And most important — who can they tell about it? In beautifully shimmering prose, Ursula Dubosarsky reveals how a single shared experience can alter the course of young lives forever. Part gripping thriller, part ethereal tale of innocence lost, The Golden Day is a poignant study of fear and friendship, and of what it takes to come of age with courage.

Join Becky as she builds a cubby, performs magic tricks, gives her toys a bath, makes fairy bread and puts on a puppet show. She might be hard to keep up with but she''s so much fun! From the combined talents of Ursula Dubosarsky and Mitch Vane comes this funny and delightful collection of Aussie Nibbles, featuring a much-loved character from the series.

Perplexing puzzles, mind-boggling mazes and cracking codes feature in this series of stories about a pair of guinea-pig detectives - Coco Carlomagno, the easily-startled Chief of Police, and his more sensible cousin, Alberta. Ursula Dubosarsky is the Australian Children''s Laureate for 2020 - 2021 Coco Carlomagno, the well-respected (if somewhat easily startled) Chief of Police, has run into an unusually difficult problem. From his office high in the Obelisco, Buenos Aires'' tallest building, he can see a light turn off and on. Could it be a message? How can he possibly decode it? In desperation he once again calls on his clever cousin Alberta to help him solve the puzzle of the looming lamplight.

A delightfully funny detective story for 6 to 8 year olds and a new kind of puzzle book from a bestselling duo working together for the first time.

The third delightfully funny detective story and puzzle book for 6 to 8 year olds from a bestselling duo.

Ava loves playing shops. Can she get Billy to buy anything? This exciting new series, written by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrated by Annie White, offers children their first experience of reading real novels. The stories are approximately 650 words, comparable with many picture books, but the books are structured like novels four chapters, each ending on a major development or twist. Above all, the stories are about real experiences in settings familiar to 5- to 7-year-olds. This series has both kid and parent appeal, and will be highly collectable.

Ava loves playing shops. Can she get Billy to buy anything? This exciting new series, written by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrated by Annie White, offers children their first experience of reading real novels. The stories are approximately 650 words, comparable with many picture books, but the books are structured like novels four chapters, each ending on a major development or twist. Above all, the stories are about real experiences in settings familiar to 5- to 7-year-olds. This series has both kid and parent appeal, and will be highly collectable.

Ava loves playing shops. Can she get Billy to buy anything? This exciting new series, written by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrated by Annie White, offers children their first experience of reading real novels. The stories are approximately 650 words, comparable with many picture books, but the books are structured like novels four chapters, each ending on a major development or twist. Above all, the stories are about real experiences in settings familiar to 5- to 7-year-olds. This series has both kid and parent appeal, and will be highly collectable.

There were only eleven of them, like eleven sisters all the same age in a large family. Because it was such a very small class, they had a very small classroom, which was perched at the very top of the school. Then in the Gardens they meet a poet. What follows is inexplicable, shocking, a scandal. What really happened that day? And do the little girls know more than they are letting on?