On the first day of Christmas a swagman at the gate said, Have a ripper Aussie Christmas, mate!

The fun and creative activities in this book cover many curriculum areas, all of which relate to and consolidate information about Christmas Down-Under.

Australian slang unites the true blue and the dinky-di and separates the cheeky little possums from the happy little Vegemites. When we use slang, we’re connecting with the diggers in the villages of France ordering a vin blanc (‘plonk’) and the Indigenous Dharug-speakers of Sydney locating one another with a familiar cry (‘within cooee’). In this attractive and educational new pictorial guide, readers will be ably led through the world of Aussie slang by the great H.G. ‘battered sav’ Nelson.

"Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden ute, kicking up the dust, esky in the boot. Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs, it's summertime and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs." One of the world's best-loved Christmas carols is given a hilarious Aussie twist. This version has become a staple at end-of-year school concerts. You can enjoy Colin Buchanan singing and then create your very own karaoke session - but wait until you hear the unique, once-in-a-lifetime blowfly version! Nick Bland's comical illustrations show the whole family enjoying Christmas Day.

On the first day of Christmas a swagman at the gate said, 'Have a ripper Aussie Christmas, mate!'