New Releases by Bruce Whatley

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.

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.

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-

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

A boy is given a dictionary which becomes magical when consulted.

'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.

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. There is something scary lurking in the Magic Car Wash and it's causing mayhem! How will the characters of the Magic Car Wash deal with this giant mouse as it outsmarts them all! Picture books for early childhood that explore the idea of cooperation, fear, and friendship. Bruce Whatley is an award-winning Australian illustrator, with books such as Diary of a Wombat, The Ugliest Dog and The Little Refugee by Anh Do.

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 1: In a classic case of 'Chinese Whispers', Kit the car mechanic's fishing day turns into a drama as a chance remark about catching a monster fish goes terribly wrong. In this book we meet the cast of The Magic Car Wash - a group of friend vehicles who can mix and match to become superheroes!

Together at last - six of Australia's best-loved animal stories in a boxed set From two of Australia's best-loved picture books creators comes a boxed set containing DIARY OF A WOMBAT, BABY WOMBAT'S WEEK, WOMBAT GOES TO SCHOOL, CHRISTMAS WOMBAT, JOSEPHINE WANTS TO DANCE and PETE THE SHEEP. Ages: 3+ years

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+

Discovering an old wind-up Space Ride toy on a shelf on Christmas Eve, the new toys in a toy shop listen to memories by older tin toys about how the Space Ride once gave them exhilarating rides.

This is a classically magical Christmas book based on the wonderful idea that Santa has a special watch that slows down time so he can deliver all his presents around the world.

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 delightful and entertaining peek into the life of one very busy wombat!Ages: 3-7 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.

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.

Together at last - three of Australia's best-loved picture books in a boxed set. Together at last in a boxed set - the board books of the best-selling classics Diary of a Wombat, Pete the Sheep and Josephine Wants to Dance. What a treat to share with children of all ages

These crazy creatures are not your normal zoo animals! Award-winning illustrator Bruce Whatley has created a wonderful picture book that celebrates the joy of friendship and the imaginative fun of recycled art. Ages: 4+ Zebo and her friends, Hyde and tC, live in Junk Jungle, which is a scrappy kind of place that is filled with things that look like - other things! Zebo likes her friends very much, but she longs for another friend - one who isn't as big as her best friend Hyde and one who isn't as small as her other best friend tC. One who is just right. But where can Zebo find such a new friend?Making new friends can sometimes be hard to do - unless you live in Junk Jungle, which is filled with things that can be turned into other useful things - like a new friend!Award-winning illustrator Bruce Whatley has created a wonderful picture book that celebrates the joy of friendship and the imaginative fun of recycled art.Ages: 4+

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.

A story about dreams, beliving in yourself ... and a dancing kangaroo. From the award-winning duo of Diary of a Wombat comes another hilarious tale of a bush animal you'll never forget.Josephine is a kangaroo - who loves to dance. Her little brother, Joey, tells her that kangaroos don't dance, they hop - but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air.When a ballet troupe comes to town and both the lead ballerina and understudy are injured, Josephine's talents are called upon to help save the day. Can she do it and, more importantly, does it matter that she's a kangaroo?A very funny picture book that looks at the importance of believing in yourself and realising your dreams.Ages 4- 9

Dragons are everywhere . . . if you know where to look! A little girl sees dragons everywhere, and she is sure there is one living in her house. She puts on her dragon-hunting armour and sets out looking for clues to help her find the mysterious creature. This little dragon hunter is in for a surprise!

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.

Josephine is a kangaroo - who loves to dance. Her little brother, Joey, tells her that kangaroos don't dance, they hop, but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air. When a ballet troupe comes to town and both the lead ballerina and understudy are injured, Josephine's talents are called upon to help save the day.

Filled with jokes and surprises, youngsters will delight in this zany retelling of the classic folktale that details the predicament of three little pigs, who long to flee the chaos of living with seventy-three pigs and build their own dream homes. Reprint.

Clinton Gregory has a secret. Actually, Clinton Gregory has at least seven secrets just from last week. Every night, when no-one else is looking, Clinton Gregory does extraordinary things: he befriends a dragon, teaches a stegosaurus a new trick, and flies around the world on a plate of spaghetti. But it's a secret . . .