An anthology is like a pile of presents wrapped up and waiting to be opened. Some will be opened eagerly and then put down for later. Others might catch your eye and please you at once. Some you will want to share with other, while others you will to keep to yourself. The stories and poems in these collections make us think about what life in Australia is like: life before the Europeans; life in the early years of European settlement; and life as it is now. From emus to magic puddings, from bum thieves to muddle-headed wombats, from googly ghosts to spellbinding smells that no one can explain this feast of Australian writing is both fresh and familiar. Written by grown-ups and children, with beautiful illustrations by award-winning Gregory Rogers, it shows what is special about growing up in Australia.