Books published by publisher Little Red Hen Books

Big Humpty and Little Humpty are a mother and baby camel who live in the desert. They play games together, and Big Humpty tells Little Humpty stories about the big, wide world. Then the day comes when Big Humpty realizes it's time Little Humpty had some friends of his own to play with, so they set off together to the Great Waterhole. Along the way, Little Humpty tries to guess what they will find there.

An eye-opening vocabulary book featuring words taken from Australia’s inspiring natural environment—with a glossary of Aboriginal terms More than 100 words about Australian animals, plants, and landscapes are defined and explained in this unique word book. From blossoms and bees through wombats and willy willys, the most prominent aspects of Australia’s beautiful landscape are detailed here. Lavish illustrations range from small vignettes to expansive narrative landscapes and both captivate and celebrate the uniqueness of Australia and its language.

Patterns of Australia represents a series of Australian landscapes and habitats in “patterns,” as seen through the eyes of acclaimed indigenous artist Bronwyn Bancroft. Each landscape contains animals, birds, plants, and flowers particular to that landscape hidden within it, accompanied by text evoking the place and listing the things to find. The book is designed to give children—and adults—an opportunity to see the Australian environment in a new way, as they discover that there is so much more to see around us if we only look!

In this story about identity and independence, the gutsy girl from the bush tries being a farmer, a man, a teacher, and a pirate—all with dire consequences!Audrey is a 1930s outback girl with a lot on her mind. Her dad has gone away to work; her brother Price thinks he's too old for games; and little Dougie likes pretending to be a bird. So together with her best friend Stumpy, Audrey ponders some of life's big questions—like whether being a swaggie (or bush traveler, as explained in the handy glossary) is lonelier than being a girl, and whether it's better to be a sheep or a cow. Determined, mischievous, imaginative, and inquisitive, Audrey is Australia's response to Pippi Longstocking and Ramona Quimby.

Audrey is torn between keeping a promise and telling the truth. Should she keep the secret or tell her family? Audrey Barlow has woken up in the dead of night and needs to go to the bathroom. The only problem is, the bathroom is an outhouse and is out yonder down the garden path. And if that isn't bad enough, Audrey sees what she thinks is a ghost! But Audrey soon discovers that it wasn't a ghost she spotted at all, but a young aboriginal girl her own age named Janet. Audrey soon learns that Janet has run away from a mission and together they must think of a way to keep Janet from being taken again. Readers will love Audrey and her determination to see that something so wrong must be made right.

Dear Diary, I made boats today. Pip and I took them down to the pond to see if they would float. “They'll go all the way to China, won't they, Lucie?” “Unless they meet a whale, Pip.” Lucie makes her own hats and boats, bakes cakes, walks on stilts, and is writing a book. The whimsical, charming text works on two levels, with each exquisite “handwritten” diary entry followed by dialog and illustration which illuminate the scene. The story of Lucie and Pip ends with detailed instructions on making a felt hat for a mouse.

In this magnificent celebration of country, Bronwyn Bancroft uses both images and words to explore the beauty of the Australian continent and to express the depth of her feelings about it. It is a unique showcase of reverence for landscape—from the coast and the outback to the cities and plains, and from barren deserts to lush rainforests, Australia is undoubtedly a place of unrivalled beauty that is captured perfectly in this book.

On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells . . . paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end. Danny Parker captures the simplicity, spontaneity, and freedom of an idyllic childhood, while Freya Blackwood’s paintings of three children roaming a rolling beachside idyll capture the light—and even the smell and feel—of a perfect summer day. Perfect is balm for the soul.

Giovanni is having trouble concentrating at school because he's tired from his part-time job and he doesn't have time to play with any of his friends any more. His local village is getting ready to hold their annual star festival, but Giovanni feels as if he's been left out. But then the most amazing thing happens, and Giovanni finds himself riding on a train heading through the Milky Way.About this TranslationThis translation includes a simple glossary (just click on the featured word to jump to the explanation) to help you navigate your way through the galaxy, which can also be accessed at the back of the book after you have finished reading the story. I have also added the translation of the 'Cello Voice' sections that Kenji cut from the final version. The Cello Voice sections provide an interesting insight into the author's motivation for writing the story. A much more detailed glossary can be found on the Little J Books website.All effort was made to create a translation faithful to the author's vision. No material has been used in this translation that wasn't written by the author, and the names of the characters have not been changed.About the AuthorBorn in 1896, Kenji was brought up as the eldest child in a wealthy household in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. From a very young age he had an insatiable appetite for knowledge, with interests spanning geology, astronomy, through all types of flora and fauna, cinema, music, painting and literature. A devout Buddhist, Kenji turned his back on the family pawn broking and second-hand kimono business, becoming a teacher at the local agricultural high school, and writing poems and fairy tales to help spread a Buddhist message of universal peace.Night on the Milky Way Railway is his longest story, and is considered by many to be his best.