GRATEFUL Dead guitarist Bob Weir and his sister Wendy Weir take readers on an exotic tropical adventure above, below and beside the coral sea in Baru Bay, Australia, in the obvious hope that they will love and care for such places.
This is not just a politically-correct environmental book but a warm, lavish story. Tamara goes on an evening excursion from her family's sailing boat and encounters a wealth of wildlife, both beautiful and frightening, around the bay.
As she flees from a crocodile, an aboriginal family comes to the rescue. They teach her about the mythical origins of their culture and the environment around them.
The pictures are as luxuriant as the wondrous bay. The many creatures that appear in both words and pictures are usefully identified at the back of the book.
Bob Weir narrates the story in an accompanying cassette, with appropriate sound effects in the background. Proceeds from the book, published by Hyperion ($200), will fund projects for the Coral Forest and the aboriginal community.
Rosie, who first appeared in Don't Forget To Write, now starts at primary school. She writes a long letter to her grandad in I Hate Roland Roberts, by Martina Selway (Red Fox $54). This attractively-illustrated picture story, told in child's language, deals positively with the very real problems faced by schoolchildren. At first, Rosie describes all the nasty things that Roland has done to her but as the days and the letter progress, she finds out he is, in fact, her best friend.