‘An emotional love story with great heart’ Sunday Express The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller

Leonard is friends with everyone, and boy can he sing! But will his singing talents impress the one friend he really wants? Join this charismatic Blue Mountains bird in his search for the song that will change his life¿Set in the beautiful bush of the Blue Mountains, Australia, this story is about friendship, bravery and being yourself.

When Edith met a cheeky young lyrebird on her garden path, she could not guess that he would one day be known as 'A Miracle of the Dandenongs'. Soon, James the lyrebird was singing and dancing for Edith, mimicking the birdsongs and other sounds that echoed through the bush. Word of their friendship spread and people travelled from near and far to film and record James. But with people came change ... This true story, retold by Jackie Kerin and beautifully illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe, celebrates a remarkable friendship between a gardener and one of Australia's most extraordinary birds.

Discover this 5-star read: 'Wow' 'Heartwarming' 'Uplifting' 'Thought-provoking' 'One of those rare, special and unique heroines' 'A joy to read' What if the people who have the power to change your life are the ones who have been there all along... Like stars in the night sky, freckles are scattered across Allegra Bird's arms, a legacy from her beloved father. Her legacy from her mother is more complicated - until one question from a stranger inspires a change. What if it isn't about fitting in, but finding the people who make you who you are? Who would those people be? As she searches for connection, Allegra is about to find out that it is our differences that make life worth living - if only someone can help you to join the dots . . . Praise for Freckles 'Fans will adore this heart-warming story about loneliness and connection' Daily Mail 'Funny, thought-provoking and original' Mirror 'A warm and bittersweet tale about finding yourself through family and friendship' Sunday Telegraph 'An endearing story of human frailty, connection and growth' Irish Independent 'Everything a greedy reader wants: a moving story, absorbing characters, engaging writing and as much of a page-turner as you'd expect' Irish Times 'Ahern was born to write and her books to be read by all' My Weekly 'Fresh and timely... asking bolding what and who make us who we are, Freckles manages to team wit and wisdom harmoniously' Echo 'A beautiful, hopeful book when the world needs hope most... inspiring, life-affirming and full of insight' Cathy Kelly Cecelia Ahern's previous novel Postscript was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16th September 2019.

Lilah the lyrebird can't sing? or so she thinks. Can Leonard help her find her voice? Or does the bushfire break her silence?Join this Blue Mountains bird in her extraordinary adventure to save her bushland home and discover the truth about herself.FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR OF CHILDREN'S BOOK 'LEONARD THE LYREBIRD' COMES THIS HEART-WARMING STORY ABOUT FRIENDSHIP, COURAGE AND SELF-BELIEF, SET IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF AUSTRALIA.Read reviews and find out more at www.jodiemcleod.com##Praise for Leonard the Lyrebird:"THIS IS A BOOK TO TREASURE?"Penny Harrison, children's author, Kids' Book Review"A VERY SPECIAL STORY THAT TOUCHES THE HEART."Dr Belle Alderman AM, Emeritus Professor of Children's Literature, Director - National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc.

Liarbirds learn to lie from the day they hatch. They are the best in the bush at fibbing, faking, fabricating and fake-news creating. Until one lyrebird decides to go straight, and discovers that sometimes even the truth hurts.

'Are you lonely here?' her mother asked. 'Never,' Alice said. 'Not while I am friends with the lyrebird.' Alice has spent her life living on the outskirts of a small town, in a house nestled in bushland. Every other morning, she is visited by a lyrebird. Her bond with this magnificent bird brings her together with her nearest neighbour, Mr Brown, a widower who loves the bush and its treasures as much as she does. But change is coming: Alice is growing up, and having to think about her future (a future which might mean leaving the bush for her education). Mr Brown is getting older, and less able to look after himself. And as the nearby town grows, their beloved lyrebird and bushland are threatened too. A touching story that will resonate with readers everywhere, stunningly illustrated with woodcuts by acclaimed artist Julian Laffan.

The Message of the Lyrebird is a photographic odyssey into one of the world's most mysterious creatures, the pristine lands that it inhabits, and the native forest friends it imitates.This companion guide to the feature-length film examines the lyrebird's unique abilities and sophisticated song and dance routines, which date back to the Early Miocene epoch, 18 million years ago.Australian filmmaker Mark B Pearce has compiled this beautiful book using screenplay extracts, homages to poets and writers, and the scribed knowledge from the film's multi-character narrative. Fascinating information and world-class photography of lyrebird imitation, courtship, habitat, plumage and reproduction is weaved with the behind-the-scenes story of a film that took 11 years to create.The book profiles D'harawal Dreaming law stories of the bird as well as modern-day understandings of its behaviours from a cinematographer, a scientist, a lyrebird sound recordist, a lyrebird keeper, a study group, an activist, and a Knowledge-Holder. In their attempts to observe and conserve nature, the characters of the film call for an end to the deliberate erosion of lyrebird habitats from commercial and industrial developments.The Foreword is written by Dr Anastasia Dalziell; with a background in behavioural ecology, Anastasia investigated the ecology of vocal mimicry in the Superb Lyrebird for her PhD research at the Australian National University and continues to write ground-breaking science on Menura novaehollandiae.In our modern age of spiritual confusion, the lyrebird stands as a symbol of sacred harmony - the speaker of all languages and the dancer of life. Lyrebird invites us to re-member our place in the natural world, and inspires us to cultivate the peace and reverence necessary for humanity's salvation.

Take a journey into the fascinating world of Australia's Aboriginal culture with this unique collection of 33 authentic, unaltered stories brought to you by three Aboriginal storyteller custodians! Unlike other compilations of tales that were modified and published without permission from the Aboriginal people, these stories are now presented with approval from Aboriginal elders in an effort to help foster a better understanding of the history and culture of the Aboriginal people. Gadi Mirrabooka, which means below the Southern Cross, introduces wonderful tales from the Dreamtime, the mystical period of Aboriginal beginning. Through these stories you can learn about customs and values, animal psychology, hunting and gathering skills, cultural norms, moral behavior, the spiritual belief system, survival skills, and food resources. A distinctive and absolutely compelling story collection, this book is an immensely valuable treasure for educators, parents, children, and adult readers. Grades K-A

The astonishing variety and richness of bird song is both an aesthetic and a scientific mystery. Biologists have never been able to understand why bird song displays are often so inventive and why so many species devote so many hours to singing. The standard explanations, which generally have to do with territoriality and sexual display, don't begin to account for the astonishing variety and energy that the commonest birds exhibit. Is it possible that birds sing because they like to? This seemingly naïve explanation is starting to look more and more like the truth.In the tradition of classic works by Bernd Heinrich, Edward Abbey, and Terry Tempest Williams, Why Birds Sing is a lyric exploration of bird song that blends the latest scientific research with a deep understanding of musical beauty and form. Based on conversations with neuroscientists, ecologists, and composers, it is the first book to investigate why birds sing and how, and what effect their music has on other animals—particularly humans. Whether playing the clarinet with the white-crested laughing thrush in Pittsburgh, or jamming in the Australian winter breeding grounds of the Albert's lyrebird, Rothenberg journeys to the heart and soul of bird song. Why Birds Sing offers an intimate look at the most lovely of natural phenomena—with surprising insights about the origin of music.