Smooch & Rose - Samantha Wheeler

An inspiring, feel-good tale about one girl and her fight to save her family's farm and a rescued koala

When Rose and her grandmother save a baby koala from a pack of blood-hungry dogs, they name him Smooch because he loves to cuddle. With the help of Carol, the wildlife caretaker, Rose and her dog Lizzie look after Smooch until he is old enough to make his home in the trees of her family's strawberry farm. It's a dream come true for Rose—she has always wanted to care for bush babies. Things take a turn for the worse, though, when her grandmother gets a menacing letter from the bank. And when Uncle Malcolm mentions bulldozers, Rose realizes that it's not just her home that is at stake. Rose has a voice and wants to make a difference, but what can one girl and her koala do? Children will cheer on the plucky protagonist of this touching tale as she discovers that things don't have to be big to be special.