Animal Stars

Captain Cook's goat is the first of many historical animals to bring the past to life. the HM Bark Endeavour is sailing to tahiti to map the transit of Venus, but there are rumours that once the task is completed, Lieutenant James Cook has a set of secret orders - orders that command him to search for the Great South Land. Isaac is twelve and has joined the crew of the Endeavour as a master's servant, good for scrubbing decks and not much else. He's certainly not considered good enough to fetch hay for the Goat who will provide fresh milk for Cook and his officers. And this goat even has more experience at sea than Isaac - she has already sailed around the world once, watching the ocean and lands slip by from her spot on the quarterdeck. Over the months on board the Endeavour, a friendship grows between the Goat and Isaac, one that will last through shipwreck, bushfire and illness. A friendship that helps in the discovery of exotic new lands ... Ages 9 - 13

Where history comes alive through the eyes of special animals. To outsiders, Mary is a queen and a threat, but to her devoted dog Folly, she is his world To the world outside her luxurious prison, Mary Queen of Scots was either a shameless beauty who killed her husband, or the rightful Queen of England and Scotland, tragically held captive by Elizabeth I. But, to the dog who loved her, Mary was simply his mistress, and the center of his world. While Mary desperately plotted to seize both her freedom and the throne, her dog Folly's world is one of chasing mice behind the tapestries and enjoying turkey legs with quinces for supper. Until the day comes when they try to take his Queen away...Based on the true story of the dog who was with Mary when she died, the Dog Who Loved a Queen is a fascinating tale of religious bigotry, plots and passion, and the unquestioning loyalty of a small Scottish terrier.

An exciting new tale of a brumby, a boy and a bushranger in the Animal Stars series. A story of survival, second chances...and a dance with danger. Young Billy Marks is a pickpocket, transported to the penal colony of New South Wales. He reckons he'll become a bushranger, but that's before he's had a chance to see the bush up close. And when, he buys the big white brumby stallion, covered with scars but refusing to bend to any man's will, he knows he made the right choice. Billy's daughter Mattie Jane thinks her father can ride any horse who ever lived...and so can she! But, when tragedy strikes, the Marks clan, including Mattie's beloved horse, Rebel Yell, will need all their courage to keep the family together. The deeds and disputed stories of Jackie French's own ancestors inspire another novel, a tale of proud horses, trailblazing farmers and their resilient wives, and desperate men forced to break the law to survive.

4 books in 1. these books for children based on historical animals give kids irresistibly exciting and true stories to introduce them to history. the books are: the Goat who Sailed the World (set on the Endeavour, with James Cook); the Dog who Loved a Queen (about Mary Queen of Scots); the Camel who Crossed Australia (about the Burke and Wills expedition); the Donkey who Carried the Wounded (set in Gallipoli in WWI, with Simpson).