Bush Babies

Lovely poetry book describing 15 different animals of Australia. I really enjoy books by the author and illustrator, Kim Dale. Following is the poem about Sugar Gliders.

Cousins to possums
but different in type,
our bluey-grey fur
is marked with a stripe.

Other possums can climb
in the branches of trees;
we can glide through the air
with the greatest of ease.

Our home is a hollow
Where boughs overlap.
The foods we like best
are nectar and sap.

Fair Dinkum Aussie Christmas

I bought this book from a Dymock's bookstore mostly because it was 40% off, but also because it included a cd. We love it and I am sure that we will be singing the Aussie version of these traditional Christmas songs this fall. Tessa thinks the songs are a hoot and enjoys singing them over and over again while Marra loves to dance to the music. Songs included are: Deck the Shed with Bits of Wattle, We Wish you a Ripper Christmas, Good ol' Wally King and many more!

The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency

The classic guide for realists and dreamers. Covers a little bit of everything: The Meaning of Self-Sufficiency, Food from the Garden, Food from Animals, Food from the Fields, Food from the Wild, In the Dairy, In the Kitchen, Brewing & Wine-Making, Energy Waste, Crafts & Skills, and Things You Need To Know. I would like to make the farm gates described. The book is easy to look at and read because there are a lot of illustrations on each page.

Sister Night & Sister Day

This is an adaptation from Grimm's 'Mother Holle". We have 'The Talking Eggs' which is another version. I prefer this one as the "good" daughter is dressed in black and at the end welcomes back her "bad" sister and they live happily ever after as opposed to the "good" daughter becoming wealthy, leaving her mean family and going off by herself. This author writes about the good and not-so-good in all of us.

The Bilby & The Bunyip - An Easter Tale

I have a fascination with Bilbies and there seems to be a lot of children's literature involving them. A Bunyip is a mythical creature of Australia. This is the story of a Bunyip hoarding her beautiful things. She eventually shares with the Bilbies and makes friends in the process.

The Midwife's Daughters

It's nice to read a children's book about midwives. In this book the midwife has 5 daughters that wash the town nappies and care for the mums for 3 weeks after their baby is born. Loved the story. The only issue some might have is that the husband went off to work and came back at the end of the day to his wife and new baby girl. I didn't find it offensive given the time period. Also, it did seem to give it a very strong feminine feel through the book of women helping women. Most birthing stories have a strong family center and this was more women focused. The illustrations were a bit crazy looking but appealing in a playful sort of way. I can't find any photo of the book online but one search led to another and now I'm interested in reading other books by the same author.

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE2113b.htm

Platypus - world's strangest animal

The girls are really learning a lot about the animals of Australia. It's wonderful to be able to see the animals in real life after viewing a video or reading books. This is the story of a young German woman who goes to Tasmania to study the Platypus. She names a female Shy and follows her as she gives birth to her young. Platypus and Echidna's are the only mammals to lay eggs. Has an extra segment on the Banded Stilts which are also called the flamingoes of Australia.