Fluke
Lesley Gibbes & Michelle Dawson

In 2012 a Southern right whale gave birth to a calf in Sydney Harbour. It was only the third time in recorded history that a Southern right whale had been born in the harbour, and the people of Sydney were entranced. The story of Fluke is based on these events.

ISBN 978 1 921504 89 1
250 x 240 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

Rights Available: World rights excluding ANZ

As I Grew Older
Ian Abdulla

Ian Abdulla's paintings and text offer a snapshot of an Aboriginal family living on a small stretch of the Murray River in South Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time of immense of profound environmental and social change when the assimilation policy still existed and there were few employment opportunities for Aborigines.

Ian's personal story of survival affirms the culture of rural Aborigines who despite being dispossessed have been determined to stay on the land.

ISBN 978 1 921504 69 3
240 x 250 mm
PB 40 pp $14.99
Full colour

Winner of the 1994 Australian Multicultural Children’s Literature Award

Bilby Moon
Margaret Spurling & Danny Snell

Each night when Little Bilby leaves her burrow she looks up to greet the moon. Each night the big round moon looks down and smiles. But one night a piece of the moon is missing.

ISBN: 978 1876288 29 7
280 x 230 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Bridie's Boots
Phil Cummings & Sara Acton

When Bridie receives a pair of gum boots wrapped in rainbow paper for her fifth birthday she is delighted. They are the best boots ever! Just right for splashing in puddles and twirling on tiptoes. But when Bridie turns six she decides her boots should go on a big adventure.

A 2015 CBCA Notable Book – Early Childhood

Shortlisted 2015 Speech Pathology Australia's Book of the Year Awards – 3-5 years

ISBN 978 1 921504 73 0
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Bring On the Birds
Susan Stockdale

Birds come in all sorts of interesting shapes, sizes and colours. And many of them can do remarkable things.

There are birds that whoop, swoop and dive. Others that dance, race or hitch a ride. And some that cannot even fly.

They are all here in Bring on the Birds. A companion to Fabulous Fishes.

ISBN 978 1 921504 59 4
240 x 250 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

Rights Available: Not applicable

Bobbie Dazzler
Margaret Wild & Janine Dawson

Bobbie the wallaby can hop and skip and bounce. But she cannot do the splits..
“Never mind”, say her friends. But Bobbie minds a lot..
A joyful Australian story for children aged 3 and up.

A 2007 CBCA Notable Book: Early Childhood

ISBN 978 1876288 72 3
270 x 220 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Crocodile River
Diana Lawrenson & Danny Snell

For Cranky the saltwater crocodile, every day is a struggle for survival. From the very beginning of her life she is in danger. Wild pigs come searching for crocodile eggs, and sea eagles swoop on the tiny hatchlings. As Cranky grows, bigger crocodiles want to eat her and humans come hunting. Will she ever find a place of her own – a place where she can be safe?

2009 Royal Zoological Society of NSW Whitley Award: Best Children’s Story 

A 2010 CBCA Notable Book: Eve Pownall Section

ISBN: 978 921504 19 8
290 x 230 mm 
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Fabulous Fishes
Susan Stockdale

Fish come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes. And many of them can do amazing things!

Can you imagine fish that leap and glide, fish that crawl on land and fish with flashing lights?

They’re all here in Fabulous Fishes!

ISBN 978 1 921504 55 6
240 x 250 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

Jeremy
Chris Faille & Danny Snell

When tiny Jeremy falls out of his nest and is brought home by the family cat, he is only a few days old.

Luckily, Jeremy is a fighter. As the weeks go by he grows stronger and
stronger, until the time comes to say goodbye.

Winner 2014 CBCA Awards: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

ISBN 978 1 921504 40 2
250 x 240 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

Little Bat
Tania Cox & Andrew McLean

Little Bat is nervous.  She’s never flown before. But with help and encouragement from her mother and her friends, she finds that launching herself into the world is not so scary after all.

ISBN 978 1 876288 09 9
270 x 220 mm
HB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

The Little Dinosaur
Catriona Hoy & Andrew Plant

In a time before Australia existed, a little dinosaur with big eyes roamed the Antarctic forests, nibbling on cycads and ginkgoes. One day the little dinosaur fell and hurt her leg. She struggled to keep up with her herd. Time passed and the world changed, but the discovery of the little dinosaur's leg bone millions of years later, meant her life would not be forgotten.

ISBN 978 1921504 29 7
250 x 240 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

Mozzie and Midgie
Doug MacLeod & Sandy Okalyi

When Mozzie and Midgie meet a colourful parrot who boasts of being the most beautiful bird on the island, the two young spoonbills set off to find out what could make them beautiful and special.

A 2012 CBCA Notable Picture Book
Shortlisted for 2012 Crichton Award for New Illustrators

ISBN 978 1 921504 32 7
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp RRP $14.99
Full colour

NANNIE LOVES
Kylie Dunstan

Nannie lives on a farm with rolling hills, a muddy creek, and lots of animals.
Nannie loves her farm. But what Nannie loves most is when her family
comes to stay.

Kylie Dunstan's simple, warm text and colourful collage illustrations
make Nannie Loves a delightful picture book to read and explore.

ISBN 978 1 921504 83 9
290 x 290 mm
HB 32 pp RRP $24.99>

Full colour 

Rights: World rights excluding ANZ

Puggle
Catriona Hoy & Andrew Plant

When Puggle the baby echidna is found on the side of the road in his dead mother’s pouch, he is tiny, blind and helpless. At first Puggle must be taught how to suckle milk from his carer’s hand. Then, as he grows older, he must learn all the skills he will need to survive in the wild.

A 2011 CBCA Notable Book: Eve Pownall Award

Shortlisted for the 2011 Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature

ISBN 978 1 921504 22 8
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp RRP $14.99
Full colour

Seadragon Sea
Margaret Spurling & Danny Snell

Down in the sea where the sponge gardens grow, ten leafy seadragons have just been hatched. Soon they will set off to find the beautiful seagrass meadow. But there are dangers ahead, including the wobbegong that lives in the murky gloom!.
From the team that gave us Bilby Moon.

ISBN 978 1876288 70 9
280 x 230 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

SEAGULL
Danny Snell

Seagull loves to fly. It makes her heart sing. But when she gets caught in a tangle of fishing line on the beach, Seagull can only watch as birds fly effortlessly above. What can she do?

ISBN 978 1 921504 81 5
250 x 240 mm
HB 32 pp RRP $24.99

The Silver Stream
Robert Roennfeldt

Deep in her burrow, at the edge of the silver stream, Mother Platypus waits for her babies, Platypie and Platypea to be hatched. Soon a new cycle of life will begin and she will encourage her young to discover the beauty and wonder of the silver stream.

ISBN 978 1876288 46 4
280 x 230 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Warambi
Aleesah Darlison & Andrew Plant

When the home of a little bent-wing bat colony is destroyed, Warambi becomes separated from her mother and the other bats. Lost and alone she finds shelter in an unusual place far away.

Scary sounds are all around her. Danger is ever present. Will she find her way home?

A dramatic story based on a real event to be published in the Year of the Bat.

A 2012 CBCA Notable Picture Book: Eve Pownall Award

Shortlisted for the 2012 Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature

ISBN 978 1 921504 33 4
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp RRP $14.99
Full colour

The Windy Farm
Doug MacLeod & Craig Smith

Why would anyone want to live on a farm where the winds are so fierce that even the pigs are blown away? Fortunately Mum is a clever inventor and can think of one very good reason.

A hilarious picture book with a very pertinent message about wind power and environmental sustainability, by one of Australia’s favourite picture book teams.

Shortlisted for the 2014 CBCA Picture Book of the Year

ISBN 978 1 921504 41 9
280 x 230 mm
HB 32 pp $24.99
Full colour

You Are My Special Baby
Carol Chataway & Danny Snell

Share the love and joy of these special babies as they explore the wonder of the world around them. A gorgeous picture book that explores the bonds between a parent and child and the love, hopes and dreams one generation has for the next.

ISBN 978 1 921504 26 6
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp RRP $14.99
Full colour

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, rich and diverse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity is central to this priority and is intrinsically linked to living, learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, deep knowledge traditions and holistic world view. A conceptual framework based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ unique sense of Identity has been developed as a structural tool for the embedding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within the Australian curriculum. This sense of Identity is approached through the interconnected aspects of Country/Place, People and Culture. Embracing these elements enhances all areas of the curriculum.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priority provides opportunities for all learners to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. This knowledge and understanding will enrich their ability to participate positively in the ongoing development of Australia.

Click here to see the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander histories & curriculum priorities

Working Title Press titles that link to this Cross Curricula Priority for Early Years (F-2) include:

As I Grew Older
Ian Abdulla

Ian Abdulla's paintings and text offer a snapshot of an Aboriginal family living on a small stretch of the Murray River in South Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time of immense of profound environmental and social change when the assimilation policy still existed and there were few employment opportunities for Aborigines.

Ian's personal story of survival affirms the culture of rural Aborigines who despite being dispossessed have been determined to stay on the land.

ISBN 978 1 921504 69 3
240 x 250 mm
PB 40 pp $14.99
Full colour

Winner of the 1994 Australian Multicultural Children’s Literature Award

Honour Book 2009 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Tom Tom is always busy. He goes to pre-school, where he likes to paint pictures and make damper with playdough. He visits his Granny Annie and Granny May and Grandfather Joe. Every day he swims with his brothers and sisters and cousins in the cool, clear water of the Lemonade Springs.

Rosemary Sullivan’s simple text and Dee Huxley’s vivid illustrations capture the rich, full life of a small boy living in a remote Aboriginal community in Australia’s Top End.

Honour Book 2009 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood

ISBN: 978 1 921504 10 5
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

You and Me: Our Place
Leonie Norrington & Dee Huxley

At the edge of a northern Australian city, where river and mangroves reach the sea, two young boys join Uncle Tobias for a day of fishing and hunting.

Leonie Norrington's beautiful text and Dee Huxley's lush, vibrant illustrations create a world in which the old and new cultures exist comfortably together and children move easily between them.

Shortlisted 2008 CBCA Book of the Year: Picture Book

ISBN 978 1 876288 84 6
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp RRP $14.99
Full colour

An evil monster is terrorising the land. The Spotted Cat must act quickly.
But how will he do it when he is so small and the monster is so big.

ISBN 978 1 876288 36 5
235 x 180 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

In the Dreaming, the cocky, the crow and the hawk lived together and shared their food. But one day, the cocky and the crow began to argue, and everything changed.

ISBN 978 1876288 25 9
235 x 180 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

Working Title Press titles that support this cross curricula strand in years 5 – 8:

Art - History - Place
Christine Nicholls

Christine Nicholls explores the astonishing diversity and visual power of Indigenous Australian art today, from the traditional work of artists from the Central and Western Desert regions and the rarrk painters of Arnhem Land to contemporary Indigenous crafts and Western influenced paintings of artists such as Ian Abdulla.

Honour Book 2004 CBCA Eve Pownall Award

ISBN 978 1876288 43 3
250 x 240 mm
PB 40 pp $14.99
Full colour

Recognised art expert, Christine Nicholls looks at some of the traditions from which Indigenous Australian art comes from and emphasises its continuous links with the Dreaming, the central core of Indigenous Law and religion.

A 2004 CBCA Notable Book: Eve Pownall Award

ISBN 978 1876288 41 9
250 x 240 mm
PB 32 pp $14.99
Full colour

This story of one of Australia’s most prominent members of the Stolen Generations provides a snapshot of the vibrant woman behind the public persona and her work as an ambassador and advocate for her people.

A 2004 CBCA Notable Book: Eve Pownall Award

ISBN 978 1876288 40 2
250 x 240 mm
PB 40 pp $14.99
Full colour

The story of the many Aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their parents as part of Australian government policies over many decades.

Winner Inaugural 2004 NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize

ISBN 978 1876288 13 6
250 x 240 mm
PB 40 pp $14.99
Full colour