New books!

What would happen if a spoonbill or a pelican or even an osprey came to your house? Fun and mayhem, that’s what! Don't Let a Spoonbill in Your Kitchen is written and illustrated by Narelle Oliver who has created many distinctive and beautiful picture books.  

A swashbuckling adventure story complete with a gang of pirates, evil villains, a trusty friend, a lost explorer, and a fabulous treasure, The Pirate Company: On the Trail of the Golden Toucan is the story of Tom Applecross, who found himself all alone in the world. Till he met up with a gang of pirates. Some would say, Any port in a storm. Others would say, Abandon ship while you’ve still got the chance!

New Mates! In Larrikin Lane, written by Kate Darling and illustrated by Ben Wood, the farm animals next door are making Mr Meyer very cranky. But Arkie has a plan. With Lola the sheep and Delilah the goat to help, what could possibly go wrong?

And in Drongoes, can Jack beat Rocket Robson in the cross-country this year? If only! But his best mate Eric might be the real winner in this race. Written by Christine Bongers and illustrated by Dan McGuiness this is a funny story about how winning isn’t always everything. 



The second in a new illustrated junior series from popular, award-winning author Michael Gerard Bauer, is Eric Vale: Super Male. It’s Superhero Week at school and Eric Vale is in for some SUPER surprises. A killer beast, a giant bully, a mutant orangutan bear and the dreaded Oogily-Boogily Man await him. This looks like a job for Eric Vale SUPER MALE! But will it end in a SUPER FAIL? Or will Eric finally go from ZERO to SUPERHERO?



Dog Tales is one of Emily Rodda’s most popular novels for younger readers. The Dolan Street dogs were Max 1, Max 2, Barney, Scruffy, Gina and Mavis. Mavis was actually a goat, but she did not know this, and none of the others liked to tell her ... Life for the Dolan Street dogs is not all lying around watching ‘Dog Hospital’. It can be very exciting. With a great new cover this is a funny, kid-friendly story from Australia’s most popular children’s author.

July books from Omnibus

There's been a little bit of jooshing on the old Omnibus lately. A new cushion on a comfy chair, some indoor plants, some dusting and some rearranging. And we're delighted to announce that Michael Gerard Bauer's new book Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel, the last in this wonderful school yard trilogy, fits in beautifully with the new colour scheme.

And now we have a cosy place (the aforementioned new cushion) for Baby Bilby to sleep. Dear little bilby, you can sleep on my velveteen cushion whenever you like.

Also out in paperback this month is the enduringly lovely Bush Concert, written and illustrated by Helga Visser.

Unwelcome on the bus, any time, are redback spiders, but we've cleared off a special shelf so we don't get a nasty surprise reaching for Redback on the Toilet Seat, out in paperback.

When it comes to kicking goals, it's all about the quality, not the quantity, as we find out in our new Mates! out this month, Losers! by Pauline Deeves and Adam Carruthers.

May books from Omnibus

In my house Too Many Monkeys needs to be acted out. Obviously the 'knock knock' must be rapped out on a nearby hard surface, but of course the most giggles are reserved for 'Someone's bottom is sitting on my head!' Ah, Margaret Wild's genius knows no bounds and Sally Rippin's colour palette is just right for the moment. Too Many Monkeys, first paperback release.

If you haven't noticed Omnibus Book's fabulous Mates! series yet, then you're going to have a nice surprise when you click over here to see the feast of lovely covers. This series is a smorgasbord of Australian literary and artistic talent. And Buzz Off, by Randa Abel-Fattah and Dan McGuiness is no exception. Out this month.

Omnibus is very pleased to be re-releasing a classic of Australian children's literature this month, Robin Klein's Boss of the Pool, with a wonderfully fresh new cover. 

I've saved our most exciting new book for last. Stresshead by Allayne Webster is set to be a big hit. The second book from this fresh new voice in young adult fiction, this novel is a funny, wry and first-hand account of trying to cope with the almost overwhelming burden of being sixteen. And the cover totally rocks, doesn't it?!

March releases

We're setting down some lovely books this March. We're honoured to be publishing the beautiful, accomplished and eloquent Randa Abdel-Fattah's first junior fiction novel, The Friendship Matchmaker. With it's super-cute cover, we think this one will be a new favourite with the tweens. The Junior Bookseller and Publisher says: 'Great writing, topical content and a big dose of humour will make this book one of the successes of 2011.' Yes, we totally agree!

Hopping off the bus next in Omnibus's much-loved Mates series is Aussie Dog by Eleanor Nilsson, illustrated by Beth Norling. Here on the bus we are sensitive (teary) when it comes to books about dogs. But so long as they have a happy ending, we're okay.

The long-awaited third edition of the chaotic adventures of that worrisome pair Pilot & Huxley makes its debut this month. These two questionable heroes face their greatest challenge yet, being wiped out of existence all together. Just pass it straight to the kids, they get it.

Good grief, it's a huge month! Next cab off the rank is Grim and Grimmer: The Desperate Dwarf by Ian Irvine. In this, the third and second-to-last in this epic series, we meet the unforgettable dwarf Con Glomryt. You won't find this kind of guy in The Hobbit. Uh uh. And remember to check out Ian's amazing competition!

Last but by no means least, especially to her legions of fans, is Tamora Pierce's collection Tortall and Other Lands. Very little more needs to be said. Return to the land of Tortall and catch up with some old friends and make some new ones.