New Releases by Colin Thompson

Nerlin and Mordonna Flood have seven children, most of whom were not created in the traditional way like you or me, but were made in the cellar, using incredible mystical powers, some very shiny Jamie Oliver saucepans and a small chemistry set.

For as long as anyone can remember, Oscar has played his violin outside the theatre. Every night, as the people queue for their tickets, Oscar fills the air with his music and the echo of his lost dreams. In the old days, his daughter, Marietta, had been there as well, dancing. For just as Oscar dreams of being a famous violinist, it was Marietta''s dream to be a famous ballet dancer. But Marietta became ill and now Oscar plays alone. Some nights, though, he catches sight of Marietta''s ghost, dancing under the street light. One night, Oscar''s dream comes true and he is invited to play in the theatre in front of an audience. They are swept away by his music and his skill. But under the glare of the spotlight, Oscar can''t see Marietta dancing. He decides to play only outside on the pavement, where he and Marietta can perform together. ''Don''t worry,'' he says. ''I won''t leave you again.'' A lyrical tale of love, loss and music by master storyteller and illustrator, Colin Thompson.

Gilbert was not an ordinary cat. This wasn t surprising because he had never seen another cat. Taken from his mother before his eyes had opened, he had spent most of his childhood inside a paper bag. As a result, he was frightened of just about everything. The best place to be was inside a nice brown paper bag, under the bed, away from the changing skies, away from vicious birds, and scary butterflies. One night something else crawled under the bed and Gilbert soon discovered that life wasn t as frightening as he d thought.

When a young boy moves with his family to a new house, he thinks it s just him and the family. He doesn t count on the spiders, the frog, the flies, the ants, the anteater, the dog, the mice, the fleas, the owls, the chickens or the goat! But when Granny comes to stay, and doesn t want to leave, the animals suddenly come in very handy

Children''s picture storybook. Mrs. Golightly retires and decides to set off around the world on her bicycle. She doesn''t mind if other people come along and she starts to collect companions from all over the world. Author''s previous works include ''Sailing Home'' and ''The Staircase Cat''. Illustrator''s previous works include ''Down My Street'' and ''The Last Clown''.

Novel about a boy''s magical journey to the island of Nymphaea. Max and his granny''s dog, Neville, find a cardboard submarine in a nearby lake, and sailing through a sea of soup, find themselves on the island of Nymphaea. Max soon discovers that totally illogical things can make perfect sense if you find the right way to look at them.

Dreams, imagination, growing up and a very special relationship between a young girl and her grandmother are at the heart of this beautifully illustrated book from a master storyteller. ‘The first time Sally flew was before she could even crawl. As her parents slept, she floated above them, too young to speak, too young to think in words.’ Sally is just a baby when she first begins to soar above her house and over the garden. Soon she sees her brother and other children floating over the rooftops. But her mother is skeptical. “You and your ridiculous stories. It''s time you came down to earth.” Only her grandmother believes her and every night, Sally returns with a special present for the old lady – a butterfly, an opal, an orchid. She recalls her own travels as a little girl and explains that everyone has the power to fly, “only they''ve forgotten how. It''s called growing up.” One day, Sally and her grandmother fly together to a land of warm sunshine and lagoons, where grandmother dreams of her favourite place, then draws her last breath and stays forever. But Sally never forgets her dreams and when she, at last, has children of her own, she flies with them – to the Aztec ruins, to fields of snow and finally to the golden beach by the clear lagoon. From the Hardcover edition.

Paperback edition of a picture storybook for children first published 2001. Big Jim is a strong horse who is growing old. Every summer he pulls the caravan that takes Max and his family around the countryside so they can perform their acrobatics and theatre show. But Big Jim is tired and wants to stay in his green field by the river. When Max and his family arrive at a town where a horse is for sale, will Big Jim get his wish? Author has worked in the theatre and as a printer and graphic artist. Previous titles include ''Sailing Home'' and ''The Last Circus''. Illustrator is an art teacher. Her previous titles are ''Quicksilver'' and ''The Staircase Cat''.

Novel set in England about a young man, Peter, who suffers from a manic-depressive illness. He experiences various mental states, ranging from euphoria to suicidal misery, and assorted mental hospitals. It is planned for this to be the first of a trilogy of novels. London-born, the author moved to Australia in 1955. He has worked as a graphic designer, theatre stage manager, and has written and/or illustrated 30 children''s books.

Children''s picture book. Zippo the clown is the oldest person in the circus, so it is his job to look after all the circus children. But he sometimes feels sad and lonely being the last clown, until something happens to Max, the tightrope walker, and Zippo has a brilliant idea how to keep Max in the circus. Author''s previous books include ''Sailing Home'' and ''The Staircase Cat'', which was shortlisted for the 1999 Children''s Book Council Picture Book of the Year Award. Gamble has previously illustrated ''Down My Street'' and ''Nadia''s Luck''.

Ignored by prospective human owners who walk past her cage at the pound, a shy dog with an unusual name becomes a hero during a lightning storm.

A collection of curious creature poems, including everything from cats, dogs and goldfish to bacteria, jellyfish and slugs. Even pet-owners aren''t left unrhymed.

Il n''y arrivera jamais. De meilleurs que lui ont essayé. Quel redoutable défi doit relever Spinifex, dix-neuvième alchimiste du roi ! Il doit absolument trouver le secret qui permet de changer en or les matériaux les plus ordinaires, sans quoi le roi ne lui pardonnera pas. Pauvre Spinifex ! Il travaille d''arrache-pied, bricole les inventions les plus folles. Et enfin, au matin du Grand Jour, il essaie sa MACHINE A FABRIQUER DE L''OR... Spinifex réussira-t-il là où tous les alchimistes ont échoué avant lui, ou bien le secret de l''or demeurera-t-il à jamais un mystère ?

Every night for two years Peter searches in the library for the lost book on how to live forever, and when he finds it, he makes an important decision.

Picture story for pre-school and younger primary school children. Oscar the cat''s life changes when war comes to the city where he lives and the people he lives with disappear. He waits patiently for his family to return to him, and eventually someone comes back to the old building where he has been living for so many years. The author''s other publications include ''The Last Circus''.

Tired of his mother''s shouting and the noise of the city, Peter runs away to a beautiful garden, where he stays until he finds a way to bring a part of it home with him.

When the circus where Oscar works is closed down, he loses all of his friends and the only life he has ever known. Oscar wanders through the countryside searching for his best friend, Rosie the elephant. 4 yrs+.

Despairing because the air has become so filthy that it blocks the sun''s rays, the richest man in the world decides to use his money to build a tower so that his grandson can experience the sun as it once was.

Nous sommes dans une bibliothèque contenant tous les ouvrages possibles et inimaginables. Tous ? Non, il en manque un, "Comment ne jamais vieillir", qui a disparu depuis 200 ans. Le petit Peter et sa famille vivent dans une des nombreuses cités qui s''animent la nuit, entre les livres. Il rêve de trouver le livre perdu et de connaître enfin le secret de la jeunesse éternelle ! Commence alors pour le petit garçon un voyage initiatique à travers les étagères, les rayonnages jusqu''à la rencontre du Vieil Enfant.

A wise old man who visits the town dump every day moves into an abandoned train there and watches as nature gradually reclaims the polluted land. Suggested level : primary.