Discovery: Discovery Picture Books

Captain Cook was the first European to discover the eastern coast of Australia. Along with his crew on the HMS Endeavor, Cook set out from England with royal orders to look for signs of the great southern land known as Terra Australis, which they chartered in 1788. From Ned Kelly to Saint Mary Mackillop, Captain Cook to Douglas Mawson, the Meet... series of picture books tells the exciting stories of the men and women who shaped Australian history.

Combining humour and surreal fantasy, Shaun Tan pictures a summer in the lives of two boys. Each spread tells of an event and the lesson learned. As you venture deep into the story, these poetic images become darker, more mysterious and unsettling, drawing towards a redemptive ending that affirms the depth of true friendship, a bond that is equally wonderful and inexplicable. Moments of humour, surreal fantasy, and the sometimes devastating ways we interact with the people we love the most, are presented in Shaun Tan's typical thought-provoking style

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.

When the enemy bombed the library, everything burned. As war rages, Peter and his father flee their home, taking with them a treasure box that holds something more precious than jewels. A book that tells the story of their people. They journey through mud and rain and long cold nights, and soon their survival becomes more important than any possessions they carry. When Peter loses his father and has to walk over the mountains, he must bury their treasure in an iron box to protect it, leaving it behind. But as the years go by, Peter never forgets the treasure box, and one day he returns to find it.

A girl finds a bright spot in a dark world. A boy leads a strange, lost creature home. And a group of peaceful creatures cedes their home to cruel invaders. Shaun Tan, with his understated voice and brilliant draftsmanship, has proved that he has a unique imaginative window to our souls, and an unparalleled ability to share that opening with pictures and narratives that are as unexpected as they are deeply true. Originally published in Australia, these three beloved and acclaimed tales were never widely available in the U.S. Now for the first time, The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and the John Marsden classic The Rabbits are presented in their entirety with additional new artwork and author's notes. Together they tell a tale that will leave no reader unmoved, about how we lose and find what matters most to us.

This moving tale explores the relationship between a young boy, Samuel Sullivan, and his mother. Samuel is remembering the precious times he spent with his mother before she became ill and went away. With the love and support of his grandparents, Samuel gradually starts to understand and little by little realises that although his mother is gone, she is with him always.

The author ofnbsp;Mahtab's Story and the author of Thenbsp;Island team up to bring young readers another powerfulnbsp;social justice-relatednbsp;work#151;annbsp;inspiring, thought-provoking picture book about findingnbsp;one's way in the world nbsp; "You must do as you're told." nbsp; "Let the army make you a man." nbsp; "Your country needs your vote." nbsp; As the voices in his life crowd in on him, Thomas looks for another way, refusingnbsp;to conform to the expectations and demands of family and community. A loner, Thomas refuses to feel lonely, an inspiring choice in this masterful tale of questioning authority and resisting oppression. Powerful illustrations and a spare text make a parable of Thomas's journey, which reflects the courage we all need to find our passion and be ourselves.