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).

A hilarious and charming story about a boy and his amphibious friend who do a series of odd jobs for their eccentric neighbours, from an Australian Children's Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop. Ursula Dubosarsky was the Australian Children's Laureate 2020-2021 Hercules Quick wants to be a magnificent magician. He just needs a special box of magic tricks. But the box is expensive, and Hercules doesn't have any money. Luckily, Hercules lives in a big apartment block with Aunt Alligator and his tadpole friend, Sylvie, and he has plenty of neighbours who are willing to pay for his help. Whether it's babysitting for the Elks, spring-cleaning for Queen Claude, or helping Professor Calamari choose the perfect bow tie, no job is too odd for Hercules Quick! Join the enterprising Hercules on his neighbourhood adventures as he discovers that sometimes the best magic of all is not a trick. Praise for Ask Hercules Quick and The Magnificent Hercules Quick 'With its combination of unusual characters and colourful, detailed illustrations, this book is sure to capture the attention of readers aged six to nine.' Books+Publishing 'A whimsical, funny story with eccentric characters all led by the enterprising and helpful Hercules. Andrew Joyner's illustrations are equally fun with lots of details to pore over ... Perfect for newly independent readers.' Reading Time

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.

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.

Hercules Quick dreams of being a magnificent magician. He is saving up to buy a box of magic tricks. Luckily, he has plenty of neighbours who need his help. Whether it's lending a hand to Professor Calamari or doing an out of season spring-clean for Queen Claude, no job is too odd for Hercules.

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.

Eleven easy-to-read, funny plays for children based on Ovid's "Metamorphoses", very suitable for class performance or reading aloud, with a range of main characters and crowd scenes. Especially good for young students of literature of the Greek and Roman worlds. Each play involves a transformation and is written in conversational English, while keeping as much as possible to the dramatic and playful spirit of Ovid's original. These plays were first published in the NSW Department of Education's "School Magazine". More about the award-winning author can be found at www.ursuladubosarsky.com.

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 ..

"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...

David Almond (Je m’appelle Mina), Tracy Chevalier (La jeune fille à la perle), Timothée de Fombelle (Le livre de Perle), Michael Morpurgo (Cheval de Guerre)... Les plus grandes signatures de la littérature racontent la Première Guerre mondiale à partir d’objets emblématiques. Un superbe recueil contenant des nouvelles écrites par onze écrivains célébrés partout dans le monde : Timothée de Fombelle, Michael Morpurgo, Tracy Chevalier rendent hommage aux héros les plus ordinaires. Un soldat de plomb, un plat à beurre, une boussole... Des objets du quotidien. Pourtant, aux yeux de nos auteurs, ces artefacts touchent au cœur des vies humaines pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Chaque auteur de ce recueil a été enjoint de choisir un objet qui avait un lien avec la guerre – une croix de Victoria pour Timothée de Fombelle, un kit d’écriture pour David Almond, un casque pour Michael Morpurgo – et de s’en servir comme inspiration pour une nouvelle originale. Le résultat : un recueil extraordinaire, illustré par Jim Kay (Quelques minutes après minuit), avec des photographies des objets qui ont inspiré les nouvelles.

Children will love the further adventures of Honey Bear. In this book, they celebrate holidays, birthdays, make interesting finds, and much more.

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?

Know more than ever before about the English language, to become a better speaker, reader and writer! Join the Word Spy and travel through different lands to go deep into the mysterious realms of language and discover empowering facts about the English language. Using an informative and entertaining approach, The Return of the Word Spy offers you insights to make your power over the English language better and stronger. In The Return of the Word Spy, acclaimed author Ursula Dubosarsky includes chapters on language families, how we learn to speak, grammar and written forms of communication. In a reader-friendly and engaging style, it takes you on a useful and unique educational and entertaining journey through the meaning of nouns, verbs, pronouns, ‘dead’ languages, word origins and other wordy wonders. Packed with cartoons, games, facts and puzzles, this is the perfect book for language students, word lovers, and all readers and speakers of English. ‘A fun-filled guide to language and grammar could inspire a whole new generation. . .’ - Sydney Morning Herald

A moving collection of short stories by bestselling authors, each inspired by a different object from the First World War. The objects include a writing case belonging to a young soldier who was killed on the first day of the Somme, a butter dish featuring a message from Lloyd George, urging people to be economical with food, and a toy soldier dressed in the uniform of the French Army.

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.

Coco Carlomagno is a highly strung guinea pig who also happens to be the well-respected 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 the cemetery a tomb has everyone baffled. It is talking! Could it be haunted?

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 Buenos Aires' Chief of Police, Coco Carlomagno, is sure his office high in the Obelisco is haunted. Every day at the same time he sees a floating pineapple and every day he hears a terrible noise. What could it mean? Who could it be? There's only one guinea pig Coco can turn to to help him in his hour of need: his logic-loving cousin Alberta. Can Alberta help him unravel the mysteries of the perplexing pineapple? 'This is a great little chapter book, and I can see it being wafted under the noses of reluctant readers. Why? The Perplexing Pineapple has charm, wit and a number of intriguing activities tucked inside. This is going to be just right for those who are more 'hands on' learners . With helpful clues, (which are given great explanations at the back), a great glossary and rollicking storyline The Perplexing Pineapple works on many levels.' [mybookcorner.com]

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.

Here is the story of the Terrible PLOP, with a bear and a rabbit, and a hop hop hop. But what is the PLOP? And where does it hide? Open the book and look inside ... 'Hilarious, original and energetic.' The Sunday Age From award-winning author Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner comes an irresistible picture book about a little rabbit who learns that some things in life aren't as scary as they seem. Based on a Tibetan myth, a sound in the forest sets all the animals running for their lives from the Terrible Plop. Children will be charmed by the wonderful zany energy of the illustrations and the rollicking rhyming story.