About Gumleaf
Stories that Inspire. Values that last.
At Gumleaf Publishing, we create engaging Australian stories that help young readers understand the world around them, discover the value of democracy and community, and believe they can make a positive difference.
Civics is easier to understand as a story
Gumleaf’s stories introduce government through problems its characters want to solve.
A story works differently. Children remember what happens to a character they care about, so when a mob of kangaroos is about to lose its home, the question of who gets to decide starts to matter. The answer turns out to be the local council, and the people who speak up at its meetings.
Each Gumleaf book starts with a problem close to home. The characters work out who can help, who they need to talk to and how to get heard, and young readers pick up how things work along the way.
The stories are about helping children understand that they don’t have to wait until they are adults to care about their community or make a difference.
Tom Laurie, author and founder
The values in every book
They show up as choices the characters make, which is how children tend to learn them anyway.
Kindness
Caring about others, animals and the world around us.
Courage
Speaking up and taking action when something matters.
Responsibility
Understanding that our choices have consequences.
Cooperation
Working together to create positive change.
Founder and author
Tom Laurie
Tom Laurie brings a rare combination of real-world government experience and educational insight to his books for young readers, making them engaging and authentic resources for primary civics education. Beginning his career as a journalist in regional Victoria, Tom has spent almost 30 years working across local, state and federal governments in senior communications and policy roles.
His breadth of experience has given him a deep understanding of how governments make decisions, how communities influence those decisions, and why active citizenship matters. Tom has served as president of a primary school council and held senior leadership positions in the tertiary education sector, where he developed a strong appreciation of the challenges educators face in delivering curriculum within busy classrooms.
Tom founded Gumleaf Publishing in 2026. His son, Daniel Laurie, looks after the website and business admin behind the scenes. Tom is based in the Ballarat region, and many of the scenes in the books started as photographs he took there.
How the illustrations are made
The illustrations were made with AI assistance, using creative direction, editing and photographs taken by Tom Laurie.
Pick a story to start with
Each e-book is ready to download as soon as you check out. Teachers will find the lesson plans and worksheets on our schools page.