Charles Massy and Mandy Foot

Beneath the western mountains, on the open plains of the high Monaro where the skies are blue and big, there lived a little dragon lizard.

Timpo is the smartest, best-disguised lizard in Narrawallee, the Big Grass Country. Wolfie the spider is his good friend, but there are no other dragon lizards and he is lonely for his own kind. 

Timpo and Wolfie embark on a journey to discover if Timpo is indeed the last dragon left in the valley. Through a landscape of grassland, granite boulders, shiny snow gums, and shady creeks they search, encountering new friends but also facing grave danger. Wolfie must return home with her spiderlings, but Timpo trudges on … will he ever find another dragon lizard? 

Featuring stunning artwork in ink and graphite by artist Mandy Foot, and an author’s essay on the Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon and its grassland habitat, this is a children’s book that will have crossover appeal as a gift book for adults. 

About the author

Charles Massy holds a Bachelor of Science (Zoology, Human Ecology) and PhD in Human Ecology from the Australian National University. He has managed a sheep and cattle property for 40 years, during which time he has researched and lectured in regenerative landscape management, addressing climate change and the current global ecological challenges for our planet. Charles has authored several books and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2011.

About the illustrator

Mandy Foot is an award winning, best-selling, children’s book author and illustrator with more than 300,000 books sold throughout Australia and New Zealand. She is an Ambassador for Raising Literacy Australia, Role Model for Books in Homes and the Illustrator Co-ordinator for the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators Society (SCBWI) South Australian branch. She works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer with a focus on children’s books with an Australian theme. Her passion is storytelling through illustration, and she shares this with young people through school workshops and presentations.

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