Ballarat, Victoria. A series of children’s e-books inspired by the Ballarat region is using Australian characters and stories to help primary school students explore democracy, community and sustainability.
Created by Ballarat author, former regional journalist and former Ministerial Adviser Tom Laurie, and published through Gumleaf Publishing, the e-books encourage children to embrace values including fairness, kindness and respect, while discovering they can make a difference.
Titles include The Mob, which follows a group of kangaroos as they learn about local government and work together to protect their community, and Sam the Platypus Goes to Parliament, which takes readers from a threatened local waterway through an election campaign and into the Victorian Parliament. A third e-book, Wally and Tilly’s Canberra Adventure, follows two young wattlebirds as they travel to the nation’s capital to raise awareness about soft plastic pollution.
“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 said. “We want children to see that their voice matters, that listening to others matters, and that working together can create positive change.”
Inspired by the Ballarat region, its communities and landscapes, the e-books have a distinctly local character while exploring ideas relevant to children across Victoria and Australia. The images have been created using AI to reimagine photographs taken in the region by the author.
The three e-books are supported by an education package for primary schools, with ready-to-use activities and resources linked to the Victorian Curriculum. The packages use storytelling, discussion and student participation to bring areas such as Civics and Citizenship to life in the classroom.
“Democracy is ultimately about people having a say, listening to different points of view and working together for the common good. These are ideas children can understand and practise in their own lives,” Tom said.
With the message “Stories that Inspire. Values that Last.”, Gumleaf Publishing aims to help build confidence, empathy and strong character, introducing children to community participation and Australia’s three levels of government.
Discover the e-books and education packages at gumleafpublishing.com.au.
Media contact
Tom Laurie
gumleafpublishing@gmail.com