Oceania

Materials from Oceania

Molly & Pim And The Millions Of Stars

All Molly wants is to be normal like her friend Ellen Palmer. Ellen, with her neat braids and a tidy house and a mother and father who are home for dinner every night. But Molly’s mom spends her mornings tramping through the woods, looking for ingredients for her potions. Their house is not neat, and their rooster, the Gentleman, runs wild in their yard. And it is the Gentleman that angers their grumpy neighbors, the Grimshaws. So Molly’s mom makes a potion that will grow a tree between their houses. When Molly’s mom accidentally drinks the potion and turns into the tree, Molly is determined to get her back. But with the Grimshaws planning to cut down the tree branches that reach onto their property, time is of the essence. With the help of her mysterious classmate Pim Wilder, Molly sets out to save her mother and discovers the wonder that lies in the ordinary.

Koala

In a high tree fork, a gray ball unfurls. Koala seeks his mother’s milk, but for the first time, she won’t let him into her pouch. It’s time for Koala to make his own way in the world. Rival koalas, fierce storms, and frightening snakes force Koala to keep moving—until he finds a safe place to call his own. In this dramatic nonfiction account, two renowned Australian picture-book creators bring us a surprising and authentic look at the ever-popular koala.

Sister Heart

A young Aboriginal girl is taken from the north of Australia and sent to an institution in the distant south. There, she slowly makes a new life for herself and, in the face of tragedy, finds strength in new friendships. Poignantly told from the child’s perspective, Sister Heart affirms the power of family and kinship.

Crow Country

A gripping time-slip adventure, in the tradition of Ruth Park’s PLAYING BEATTIE BOW. ‘Beginning and ending, always the same, always now. The game, the story, the riddle, hiding and seeking. Crow comes from this place; this place comes from Crow. And Crow has work for you.’ Sadie isn’t thrilled when her mother drags her from the city to live in the country town of Boort. But soon she starts making connections – connections with the country, with the past, with two boys, Lachie and Walter, and, most surprisingly, with the ever-present crows. When Sadie is tumbled back in time to view a terrible crime, she is pulled into a strange mystery. Can Sadie, Walter and Lachie figure out a way to right old wrongs, or will they be condemned to repeat them?

That’s Not A Hippopotamus!

A class trip to the zoo descends into a chaotic hunt for the missing hippopotamus. Teacher, zookeeper and all the children join the search. The noise and drama reaches a pitch, and no one thinks to listen to quiet Liam, who really might know where the hippo is hiding.That’s Not a Hippopotamus is a deft and delightful tale, packed with word play and madcap energy—and with a whole different story to enjoy in the illustrations.

Muddle & Mo

Muddle (a duck) and Mo (a goat) are best friends, but Muddle is a bit confused about what type of animals they both are. Fortunately, during the course of their walk together, long-suffering Mo helps Muddle get his duck identity sorted out in this warm and funny tale of friendship, differences, and acceptance.

This and That

In this delightful tale, two mice set off on a storytelling adventure that takes them through cavernous caves, atop crazy giraffes, and over palace walls until they return safely home to the comfort of their beds. A sweet, rhyming story, This and That is perfect for helping children develop their sequencing skills!