Deb Hudson – illustratör

As the sun goes down on Christmas Eve, a little star rises up and watches over the celebrations below. One family hangs a wreath on their door, another plays on the beach, another gives a present to someone who needs it more. The little star shines brighter as they share in the joy and magic of this special night.A heartwarming, contemporary lullaby for little ones to listen to as they snuggle up at bedtime, The Brightest Christmas Star gently acknowledges that Christmas means different things to different people, but at the heart of it all is love. A perfect gift for baby's first Christmas, or for families seeking a book that reflects the Australian Christmas experience in an inclusive way that doesn't focus on Santa Claus or traditional family structures.'This delightful book is a true gift to the world' The Australian Women's Weekly'A refreshing take on a story for Christmas . . . Exudes love while acknowledging that families and people celebrate Christmas in their own special ways. This really is a perfect gift for younger readers' Schooldaysmagazine.com'Gentle, rhythmic language . . . stunning illustrations . . . If you're looking for a Christmas story that feels just right for Australian kids, this book is a perfect choice! It's a wonderful way to teach kids that love is at the heart of every Christmas celebration, no matter how it looks' Better Reading

A wonderful children’s series celebrating community, friendship and kindness from the bestselling author of Looking for Alibrandi. Fun, heartwarming stories full of mischief and humour, sure to charm and engage newly independent young readers.Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble. Like on Friday, when she and Alessandro decide to paint Nonno Nino’s little yellow boat . . .Collect all seven stories in the series. One for every day of the week!''A charming series that will enchant all who read it.’ The Book Muse‘Highly recommended . . . Full of humour and brimming with the close ties of family, [and] . . . community, children will love reading of Zola and her life.’ Fran Knight

Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble!Collect all seven stories in the series – one for every day of the week.

Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble! Like on Tuesday, when Zola tries to help Nonna knit a scarf . . .Collect all seven stories in the series. One for every day of the week.

Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble! Like on Wednesday, when Zola has a plan to help find her friend Sophia’s missing turtle . . . Collect all seven stories in the series. One for every day of the week.

A wonderful children’s series celebrating community, sustainability, diversity and family from the bestselling author of Looking for Alibrandi. Fun, heartwarming stories full of mischief, humour and feeling, sure to charm and engage newly independent young readers.Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble. Like on Thursday, when she and the gang form a band and upset their cranky neighbour, Mr Walton . . .Collect all seven stories in the series – one for every day of the week!‘Highly recommended . . . Full of humour and brimming with the close ties of family, [and] . . . community, children will love reading of Zola and her life.’ Fran Knight''I don’t know about you but I am getting incredibly fond of Zola and her neighbourhood. This little series is just truly delightful and I know that little readers must love being able to make connections with their own family, friends, schools and communities . . . Your newly independent readers both boys and girls will just adore these stories and they would make fabulous read-alouds for either classroom teachers or teacher-librarians paired with some activities and action plans. Highly recommended for little readers from around six years upwards.’ Sue Warren

A wonderful children’s series celebrating community, friendship and kindness from the bestselling author of Looking for Alibrandi. Fun, heartwarming stories full of mischief and humour, sure to charm and engage newly independent young readers.Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble. Like on Saturday, when it’s tomato day at Nonna Rosa’s and Zola is helping out . . .Collect all seven stories in the series. One for every day of the week!''A charming series that will enchant all who read it.’ The Book Muse‘Bursting with warmth, family love, troublesome dogs, and growing things . . . perfect for beginning readers . . . Zola is such a delightful, thoughtful, and slightly mischievous character.’ Aussie Kids Books‘There is a rich diversity in families with single parents, same-sex parents, multi-generational families and different cultures . . . Perfect for newly independent readers or for class or home read-alouds, I highly recommend this for little humans from around 6 years upwards.’ Sue WarrenA beautiful big family, cousins living in the house behind you, a hole in the fence for you to climb through and play. A beautiful street, a community of people you love . . . a neglected garden that everyone has forgotten . . . a beautiful junior novel about family and community. . . It truly does warm your heart as you read it . . . It’s absolutely stunning!’ Kids Book Review‘Early readers aged 5–7 are very fortunate to now have a Melina Marchetta story just for them.’ Angela Crocombe, Books + Publishing

A wonderful children’s series celebrating community, friendship and kindness from the bestselling author of Looking for Alibrandi. Fun, heartwarming stories full of mischief and humour, sure to charm and engage newly independent young readers.Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can''t keep out of trouble. Like on Sunday, when it’s St Odo’s fete and Zola and the gang join in the fun . . .Collect all seven stories in the series. One for every day of the week!''A charming series that will enchant all who read it.’ The Book Muse‘Bursting with warmth, family love, troublesome dogs, and growing things . . . perfect for beginning readers . . . Zola is such a delightful, thoughtful, and slightly mischievous character.’ Aussie Kids Books‘There is a rich diversity in families with single parents, same-sex parents, multi-generational families and different cultures . . . Perfect for newly independent readers or for class or home read-alouds, I highly recommend this for little humans from around 6 years upwards.’ Sue WarrenA beautiful big family, cousins living in the house behind you, a hole in the fence for you to climb through and play. A beautiful street, a community of people you love . . . a neglected garden that everyone has forgotten . . . a beautiful junior novel about family and community. . . It truly does warm your heart as you read it . . . It’s absolutely stunning!’ Kids Book Review‘Early readers aged 5–7 are very fortunate to now have a Melina Marchetta story just for them.’ Angela Crocombe, Books + Publishing

This heartwarming book is a joyous celebration of the milestones to treasure in your babyʼs first year.Time flies by – time is a treasure.Our firsts with you, we’ll cherish forever.Today you''re walking.Tomorrow you''ll run.Our precious newborn - suddenly one.

A delightful story about the magic of both home and other worlds, which will encourage exploration, caring for the environment, and seeing the wonder in everywhere we go.When Milly and Papa plant a mulberry tree, Milly has no idea how magical and inspiring the tree will become. From nurturing silkworms to making magic potion mulberry ice-cream, the mulberry tree becomes the centre around which Milly’s life turns. Then, Milly grows older, and finds herself travelling to new and exciting places. She discovers the fabric her silkworms created, and builds a life in a beautiful, faraway land. But she never forgets the magic of the mulberry tree, and always longs to return…Milly and the Mulberry Tree is a story about growing up, family and home. Full of colourful, whimsical illustrations, it explores our ties with nature and places in a way that will resonate with any young readers who like playing outdoors, or have their own special hideaway. It also holds an inspirational message about the importance of exploring new worlds as we grow, while keeping home close to our hearts.Inspired by the 100-year-old mulberry tree that grows in the author’s own childhood garden, this is a book full of heart and joy that will be a delight for families to share.