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Joey Gets His Wings
Brief Description
Beneath the vast blue skies of Australia’s outback, Art dreams of flying, with his small toy kangaroo, Joey, never far from his side. When Art leaves home to join the Australian Flying Corps, Joey is tucked into his bag, a small reminder of home. Together, they...
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Format: Hardback
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Joey Gets His Wings
$2999
Unit price
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Unavailable
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Description
Beneath the vast blue skies of Australia’s outback, Art dreams of flying, with his small toy kangaroo, Joey, never far from his side. When Art leaves home to join the Australian Flying Corps, Joey is tucked into his bag, a small reminder of home.
Together, they travel far beyond the red earth, Joey strapped to the front of Art’s plane as he soars through the skies above a distant war where courage is tested and home feels far away. Until one day, they are separated.
Alone in a distant field, Joey waits, holding onto hope, and the memory of the boy who carried him there.
Inspired by true stories, Joey Gets His Wings is a heartfelt tale of friendship and the love that leads us home.
Captain Elliot “Tab” Pflaum, an Australian Flying Corps pilot from South Australia, carried his leather kangaroo mascot, Joey, through WWI skies. Perched on his aircraft, Joey symbolised courage and companionship, enduring aerial missions and later preserved as a treasured keepsake, connecting past sacrifice with remembrance.
From the award-winning creator of Dreaming Soldiers
‘A powerful and moving story… its strength lies in the friendship and shared journey at its heart.’
Inspired by the real stories of Australian soldiers who carried small mascots from home to bring comfort during the First World War.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781923720107
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 01 September 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: Big Sky Publishing
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Width: 230.0mm
Height: 260.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 32
About the Author
Catherine Bauer is an Australian author whose work for young readers explores courage, imagination and emotional resilience. Her picture books include Dreaming Soldiers and Len Waters: Boundless and Born to Fly (Big Sky Publishing). Dreaming Soldiers received the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award for its contribution to children’s literacy and language development.
Drawing on real histories and lived experiences, Catherine creates stories that foster curiosity, empathy and reflection. Her other titles include Juniper’s Painting and the young adult novel Tulips for Breakfast, set in wartime Europe. With a background in communications, Catherine regularly speaks with students about writing, history and storytelling. She lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
Instagram: @catherinebauerwrites
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caththewriter
Jennifer Horn is a Brisbane-based illustrator and children’s writer known for her whimsical, expressive style. She has illustrated Juniper’s Painting by Catherine Bauer and the junior fiction title Skippy Blackfeet (Wombat Books).
Her debut picture book The Precious Plum was shortlisted for the 2022 Little Pink Dog Authorstrator Prize, and she was awarded Second Place in the Published Illustrators category at the 2023 CYA Conference.
With a background in architecture, Jennifer brings a strong sense of movement and storytelling to her work, often inspired by adventure and imagination. She also co-hosts a book review program on Reading Radio.
www.jenniferhorn.com.au
Instagram: @eskyjen
Facebook: eskyjen
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Colourful Memories by Catherine Bauer is a heartfelt tale that brings vibrant hues to life as Opa adds lively colour to his black-and-white photographs when Charlie comes to visit. From yellow ribbons, to green pine trees and blue oversized jumpers, Charlie and Opa share colourful memories. This tender story between a grandchild and grandparent explores memories and family stories together....Paperback$1999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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Len Waters may have been born behind the gates of an Aboriginal reserve, but his big imagination and even bigger dreams took him soaring well beyond the reach of those who tried to confine him. Kamilaroi man, Len Waters, dreamed of taking to the skies. It was an unlikely dream at the time, but during WWII he beat the odds...Hardback$2899Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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WINNER of the 2019 Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards – Indigenous Children Category A powerful and moving story about true mateship. A window to the past and a glance at the future. Dreaming Soldiers weaves tales of childhood adventures and battlefield challenges with gentle Dreaming themes. This is a touching friendship story about Jimmy and Johnno, two...HardbackSold Out
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