Why school fundraising committees are so stretched and Graeme Base on 40 years of Animalia

Whether it's the mother's day cake stall, election day sausage sizzle or end-of-term trivia night, you've probably chipped in to a local school fundraiser at some stage. But many P&Cs are being forced to scale up their efforts to cover what many consider to be essential resources and infrastructure. So why are gaps in public education funding being filled by the community?

When Graeme Base set out to create his second children's picture book, an English language illustrated alphabet didn't sound like a winning idea. But Animalia went on to sell more than 5 million copies, and is now celebrating its 40th anniversary. The beloved author-illustrator reflects on the books that built him.

What do you say when you answer the phone? The humble "hello" may be on its way out, with younger generations ditching the standard greeting. Linguist Daniel Midgley explores the history of hello and why language evolves over time.