This charming collection of short animal stories will be greatly enjoyed by any children who love native Australian wildlife. Written with Betty Salthouse's characteristic gentle humour, its short chapters make it a satisfying read for newly independent readers. It will also be enjoyed by older children (and adults!) who have been moved by the plight of Australian animals affected by the recent bush fires. Beautiful illustrations by Pip Westgate bring the animals to life, including not only the more familiar koalas, kangaroos and wombats but also the lesser-known creatures, such as numbats, lyre birds and lorikeets. An accomplished writer of children's stories set in the UK, Betty Salthouse has written this new collection to share her love of native Australian animals encountered on her travels, and to raise funds and awareness for those endangered by the recent bush fires. Profits from this book will be donated to WIRES, the leading Australian charity for wild animal rescue.