The Bamboo Flute

'I begin to drift way. In my mind I am digging for gold. Gold will save us. Gold will bring back the music in our lives . . .'

Paul is a dreamer, his head alive with rippling pianos, gentle violins and the smiles of Margaret, the one he loves. But in the cold light of the day, Margaret snubs him at school, the piano has been sold, his father is battling to keep the farm, and dejected men are tramping the roads . . . looking for work, a sandwich, a cup of tea . . . No-one has time for music or dreams.

Then Eric the Red comes along. Eric the Red, with his silver flute, his knowing wink and boots held together with wire. Eric the Red, just a step ahead of the law. Eric, the Red, who knows how to make a flute from a piece of bamboo . . .

'The Bamboo Flute' is an evocative story of hardship, hope, respect and recognition, set during the Depression. Winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Younger Readers.