Susan Laughs

old in rhyme, this story follows Susan through a series of familiar activities. She swims with her father, works hard in school, plays with her friends, and even rides a horse. Lively, thoughtfully drawn illustrations reveal a portrait of a busy, happy little girl with whom younger readers will identify. Not until the end of the story is it revealed that Susan uses a wheelchair.

Vile Verses

From oozing grobes to slimy slugs, this extraordinary collection is bursting with Dahl’s poems, verses, and songs. And with full-color original illustrations from a distinguished group of more than twenty artists, this lavish volume is a must-have for any Dahl fan’s library.

Sandmare

Sandmare is a horse drawn in the sand on a beach by a girl named Polly and her father. Pleased with their creation, Polly laments the inevitability of the Sandmare’s being washed away by the tide. But Polly makes a wish that the Sandmare could run free – and at the same time the Sandmare wishes herself, so the wish is very strong. After Polly has left, the Sandmare is able to stand up and run free. Now she must reach the stars, or at sunrise she will turn back into sand.

My Tata’s Remedies/Los remedios de mi Tata

Tata Gus teaches his grandson Aaron how to use natural healing remedies, and in the process helps the members of his family and his neighbors.

The Rabbits

Uses rabbits, a species introduced to Australia, to represent an allegory of the arrival of Europeans in Australia and the widespread environmental destruction caused by man throughout the continent. A sophisticated picture book. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

Sun Mother Wakes The World

At the beginning of the world, it was dark and silent and nothing stirred anywhere, until a voice roused the sleeping Sun Mother in the sky, telling her it was time to wake up all the creatures of the earth. The indigenous people of Australia believe that their first ancestors created the world and its laws. They also believe that the world is still being created in a continual process they call The Dreamtime.

Nurse Lugton’s Curtain

An enchanted world, frozen in the pattern of a drawing-room curtain,waits patiently while Nurse Lugton sews. Then, as she falls asleep in the lamplight, the antelope nods to the zebra, and soon the elephant, the tiger, the ostrich, and all the other creatures awaken and begin to make their way toward a sparkling lake and a magical town.

The Red Poppy

In summertime the world is green, and the straight rows of grain in tilled fields show the results of the farmers’ hard work. On the sides of the fields, red poppies grow–they are a summer joy for everyone to appreciate. In poetic language and rich full-color illustration, the author pays tribute to the every day miracle of plants and flowers.