Mack and the Heartbeat Hum the River Guardians (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781764301732)

The river is their playground. But a mysterious drought is turning it to dust.

For Mack and Chrissy, life on Notawallop Creek Station is an endless adventure. The Australian bush is their backyard, the river their swimming hole, and their best friends aren't other kids-they're Dozy the wise emu, Boss the mighty red kangaroo, and Whitey the gentle albino kangaroo. It's a perfect life, filled with endless sunshine and exploration.

But a strange sickness is falling over the land. The billabong shrinks into a muddy puddle, the yabbies die, and the river vanishes almost overnight. The grown-ups are stumped, searching for a logical cause like a fallen tree or a collapsed bank, while the farm slowly begins to thirst. As the cattle troughs run low and worry settles over the homestead, it's clear this is no ordinary dry spell.

Mack and Chrissy know the answer isn't on the farm. A mysterious carved piece of wood found in the mud, strange tyre tracks leading into the wilderness, and the anxious warnings from Dozy the emu all point to a single, forbidden place: the treacherous Razorback Hills. It's the one place they've been told their entire lives never to go.

With their parents out of ideas and the station's future on the line, the children realize they are the river's only hope. To save their home, they must do what the adults won't-break the rules and venture into the wild.

To succeed, they'll need more than just courage. It will take:

• Mack's quiet, observant eyes to piece together the clues that others have missed.
• Chrissy's bold determination to lead them through dangers that would turn anyone else back.
• The unique strengths of their animal friends-from Dozy's mysterious wisdom to Boss's incredible power.

Together, this unlikely team of guardians ventures into the unknown, ready to face whatever has silenced their river. Can two kids and their loyal animal companions uncover a secret the grown-ups have overlooked and bring the water back to life?

The first book in the Notawallop Farm Adventures series, The River Guardians of Notawallop Creek is a heartfelt and thrilling story about friendship, bravery, and the unbreakable bond between children and the land they call home.