Readings.com.au: Bruce Whatley

Christmas Wombat

Christmas comes but once a year, and it′s just as well for Santa′s reindeer, who have to fight with Mothball for the carrots left out for them by the local children. And when Mothball takes an unexpected sleigh ride, it′s not just Santa who faces the prospect of getting stuck in the chimney.

Christmas from a wombat′s eye view is always going to be interesting - especially when that wombat is Mothball.

Ages 3+

Emu And Roo

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Tin Toys

A magical Christmas story from a master storyteller

Christmas Eve is drawing close. High on a shelf in an old toy shop, the wind-up Space Ride is gathering dust. It hasn’t worked in years. The tin toys remember how bright, how shining, how exhilarating the Space Ride was. But the new toys don’t believe them. The tin toys are determined: this Christmas, they’ll prove that even old toys can be magical.

Bruce Whatley trained as an illustrator in Manchester, UK, where one of his tutors was Tony Ross. Shortly after starting a family, Bruce found his niche in writing and illustrating for children. His children's books are very popular and his first book, The Ugliest Dog in the World, was an instant success and was listed as a CBCA Notable Book, 1993. His second book, Looking for Crabs, was shortlisted for Picture Book of the Year, 1993. Bruce continues to write and illustrate picture books. He has had much success with the picture books he has created with Jackie French, Diary of A Wombat and Pete the Sheep. Bruce and his wife live in Berry on the south coast of New South Wales.

My Mum's The Best

Beautifully illustrated with delightful animals, My Mum's the Best captures the fun-loving bond between mother and child - from big, cosy bear hugs to bathing elephants.Whether big or small, feathered or furry, mums always know how to make us feel special!

Nog And The Land Of Noses

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Looking For Crabs

When you are on holidays and it's too cold to swim, what can you do? You can look for crabs! But search carefully, they are very hard to find.

*Shortlisted, Young Adults Best Book Awards (YABBA) (VIC), 1994 and 1995

Ages 3+

Noises At Night

When a little boy tries to fall asleep, he is kept awake by all the late-night noises around his house. From the hisss of the heater to the whieee of the wind, these noises soon lead to great adventures . . . This is a first picture book for co-authors Beth Raisner Glass and Susan Lubner. Beth is a junior primary teacher, and was inspired to write the story when her eighteen-month-old son was kept awake by all the strange noises in the family's new house. She wrote the story to entertain, but also to help children put into perspective the unknown things that scare them. With her friend Susan Lubner, Beth honed her story in verse to get the rhyme and the rhythm just right, through 40 drafts. The result is a fun text that is easy to read aloud.

Diary Of A Wombat

She sleeps. She eats. She scratches. She is training humans to become better pets. She is Mothball a wombat with attitude.

Award-winning author Jackie French's love of wombats comes alive in this cheeky observation of Mothball's life while Bruce Whatley's captivating illustrations of Mothball's antics shows just how entertaining and endearing wombats are to humans.

The bestselling daily routine of Mothball the wombat is now in durable board book format for the youngest reader to enjoy.

The Shaggy Gully Times

Who knew that the famous wombat diarist, Josephine the ballet-dancing kangaroo and hairdresser Pete the Sheep all lived in the same country town? Here’s the town’s newspaper, demonstrating that if Australia’s short on water, it’s happily still long on shaggy stories. Packed with news,ads, puns, jokes, a ‘horror scope’ and letters to an agony aunt who’s a parrot, this is a breathless romp through the bush that will leave you gasping for ‘mouse-to-mouse resuscitation’. Age 7+

The Watchmaker Who Saved Christmas

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. It has everything from the pathos of Charles Dickens's Tiny Tim (in this case the deaf boy who sacrifices his precious hearing aid to help fix Santa's watch), the intrigue of the watchmaker racing to meet a special Christmas deadline, and the snow-filled Christmas world of books like THE POLAR EXPRESS.

Too Many Pears

Pamela the cow absolutely loves pears fresh pears, pear pie, stewed pears, any pears they are all irresistible to Pamela. Finally it takes a clever little girl to convince Pamela that there is more to life than pears

Ages: 2+

Monster

Some monsters are scary -- with pointy teeth and snuffly grunts -- and they stink. You′d never invite them to sleep over!

But there are other monsters that are cute and full of surprises.

Andrew Daddo and Bruce Whatley know a scary, funny story about a really lovable monster -- but you might want to keep the light on.

Six White Boomers (Book And CD)

Rolf Harris's classic Australian Christmas song has been published for the first time as a picture book. A whole new generation of children will fall in love with the uniquely Australian lyrics - and with Bruce Whatley's distinctive, energetic illustrations.

The Audio CD includes 'Six White Boomers' and two bonus songs.

Ages: 4+

Alpha Quest

Archer, draw back your bow, for you will direct our journey. Our quest: to collect the 26 hidden pieces of the key that will unlock the world's greatest treasure. Archer, aim your arrow high, and let the quest begin!

Join the Alpha Quest, a journey in search of treasure! Everyone is desperate to find the riches-Eagle and Emu, the goldfish in gliders, the Knight, the Pirate Pig, even the Violent Viking. But only you can find the hidden pieces of the key to unlock the treasure.

In Alpha Quest, Bruce and Rosie have created a world full of amazing characters and extraordinary images. It is a mystery to be solved, and a book to be explored over and over again.

The Watchmaker Who Saved Christmas

The Ugliest Dog In The World

Everyone thinks the Ugliest Dog in the World is 'ugly', but in different ways. Mum thinks she's ugly in a cute sort of way, the lady next door thinks she's pretty, but you haven't seen the lady next door. My best friend even screams when she sees her...But I think she's beautiful, in a sloppy kind of way!

*Notable, Children's Book Council of the Year Awards, 1993

Ages 3+

Hunting For Dragons

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 amour and sets out looking for clues to help her find the mysterious creature. This little dragon hunter is in for a surprise!

Martha Doesn't Say Sorry

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Josephine Wants To Dance (Board Book)

Josephine loves to dance. The emus show her how to point her toes. The eagles teach her how to soar to the music of the wind. Then the ballet comes to the sleep town of Shaggy Gully and Jospehine learns that there′s a new way to dance. This is how Josephine wants to dance, but will her dream come true? Now in durable board-book form, for the tiniest twikle toes to enjoy!

Baby Wombat's Week

The star of the international bestseller Diary of a Wombat is back - with a new mouth to feed! Cuter, stroppier and even more determined than her mother ... meet Mothballs baby. Like any growing family, this baby wombat and her mum are finding it hard to fit into their home. When setting out to dig a new, bigger hole with room for them both, Shaggy Gullys newest resident gets some help from a friend, causes more mayhem than Mothball ever did, and sorts things out in hilarious style. A charming new picture book from the team who created the bestselling Diary of a Wombat and Josephine Wants to Dance.

Josephine Wants To Dance (Boxed Set)

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Zoobots

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Josephine Wants To Dance

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Wait No Paint

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Queen Victoria's Underpants

Meet Lizzy, whose family are in the clothing industry. Very few people probably know that Queen Victoria made the wearing of underpants popular. At the beginning of her reign very few women wore them. But Queen Victoria made tartans, perambulators and chloroform fashionable. By the time she died just about every woman in Britain wore underpants like hers.

Danny Da Vinci: The Flying Machines Of Lombardy

Danny and his best friend Mick Angelo are apprentices in an art studio run by Danny's Uncle Leo. When the Duke of Milan issues a challenge to build a flying machine, Danny and Mick, with more than a little bit of help from Lisa, set to work. They build some fantastic machines, but can they make them fly?

How High Can A Kangaroo Jump

Why does Australia have animals that are so different from others anywhere else in the world?
Why do roos and wallabies have such big tummies? Who were the kangaroos with fangs that lived 10 million years ago? What’s the best way to become invisible (to kangaroos, at any rate)? Which wallaby is a ‘living fossil’ - the same as the wallabies that grazed 10 million years ago? Why do joeys eat their mother’s droppings? And how high CAN a kangaroo jump? Find out in this book!

Shaggy Gully Times

Emily And The Big Bad Bunyip

It's Christmas Day in Shaggy Gully.

The kangaroos are feeling bouncy, the echidnas are being prickly, the emus are feeling peckish and the possums are just hanging around.

Only the Bunyip is gloomy. 'I'm mad and I'm mean! Bunyips don't like Christmas!'

Meanwhile, Dawn and her chorus are playing Christmas carols, but somehow Emily Emu can't get a note right. Her musical mishaps float down to the creek, where the Bunyip lives...

Can Emily Emu and her friends possibly make the Bunyip smile this Christmas?

A delightful new picture book from the team who created bestselling Diary of a Wombat, Pete the Sheep and Josephine Wants to Dance.

The Smallest Bilby And The Midnight Star

Every night the smallest bilby looks up at the midnight sky and searches for his favourite star – the smallest one that hangs close to the edge of the sky. Every night she shines down on him. But one night, fearful that she may go away and never come back, the smallest bilby decides to give her something that will make her remember him forever and always.

The Smallest Bilby and the Midnight Star is one of three picture books featuring the Smallest Bilby. The second book, The Smallest Bilby and the Easter Games is due out in March 2007 and tells the story of how the Smallest Bilby becomes chosen as the Easter Bilby. The third picture book will re-connect the Smallest Bilby with the Midnight Star on his first quest as the Easter Bilby.

Pete The Sheep

The award−winning team behind Diary of a Wombat have joined forces again to create another highly amusing picture book.

Sean is a shearer and instead of a sheepdog to help him‚ he′s got a sheep sheep − Pete. After being rejected by the other shearers and their dogs‚ Sean and Pete set up a sheep salon in town. Sheep from everywhere arrive to have their wool shorn in the latest style and even the shearers′ dogs end up arriving for a cut in order to look gorgeous.

Jackie and Bruce have created the perfect combination of words and illustrations in this irreverent look at the world of sheep shearing.

Ages 4−9

Pete The Sheep

The award−winning team behind Diary of a Wombat have joined forces again to create another highly amusing picture book.

Jackie and Bruce have created the perfect combination of words and illustrations in this irreverent look at the world of sheep shearing.

Ages 4−9

The Smallest Bilby And The Easter Games

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.

The Secret World Of Wombats

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Diary Of A Wombat

A delightful and entertaining peek into the life of one very busy wombat!

Monday

Morning: 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.

Ages 3 7