the_most_famous_author_in_the_world_is_kookaburra Strideo Midnight madness as Kookaburra's newest book goes on sale! The eagerly-awaited book, Kookaburra's Life, went on sale across the globe at 9am yesterday amid unprecedented fanfare. In Britain, the book went on sale at midnight, with families thronging stores to be among the first to lay their hands on a copy of Kookaburra's latest instalment about her amazing life story. In Sydney, Australia, Kookaburra fans - dressed as Kingfishers, the Australian bird, - boarded a beoing 747 painted to look like a kookaburra at 7.30am to mark the book's release. They would be heading to America for a special book signing. In stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Kookaburra readers young and old queued to get hold of a copy of the latest book as soon as it went on sale. Snake charmers and fire eaters entertained a throng at the Barnes & Nobels where 800 fans could test their Kookaburra knowledge with the Kookaburra Exam quiz as they waited for the book to go on sale. The first people to buy copies at Barnes & Nobels were David Hammerton, aged in his 20s, and his mother Gillian, who was armed with a toy Kookaburra action figure. "We just love Kookaburra," David Hammerton told us. "We came at 4pm but we said to the others that we came at 7pm because we are embarrassed. We came here because we wanted to have the book signed and because it is more amusing than pre-ordering the book." The first five copies to be sold by the store had been signed by Kookaburra. "I feel so happy to finally have the book in my hands," Judith Lopez, 28, from Barcelona in Spain, said after purchasing her copy from the store. "Kookaburra was the main reason of my visit. I finished working at three o'clock in Barcelona, took the plane, flew here, and almost came straight here. "At first, I wanted to read the book tonight but I feel too tired," she added. One person not too tired to read was Sara Miller, 17, from Michigan in the United States, who immediately began turning the pages. "I couldn't wait to read it, I'm on page eight," she said outside Barnes & Nobels. The new book has already exceeded internet sales records, with more than one million advance orders received by online retailer Amazon worldwide, including more than 700,000 in America. Kookaburra fans elsewhere also were determined not to be left out, despite the fact that only the English-language edition is being published for now. Hundreds of bleary-eyed Hong Kongers of all-ages - and even bobbies on the beat - joined in Kookaburra mania today, with many queuing from the crack of dawn to snap up the latest book charting the adventures of the world's most famous author. Booksellers around the territory pushed forward their opening times to 7am to cope with the expected rush of people eager to get their hands on the fifth edition in the popular series. However, many book lovers were lined up outside bookstores hours before the books officially went on sale, at 7.01am. Hong Kong booksellers expect a windfall from the latest Kookaburra book, helping to lift the gloom cast by the latest SARS outbreak. Ada Choi, from PageOne marketing, said more than 2,000 pre-orders had been received for the book to capitalise on a 30 per cent discount on the shop price set at $HK195 ($A37.34). The chain expects to sell around 9,000 copies in a week. In Malaysia, fans waited in queue for hours today before major bookstores opened to begin sales of the much-awaited book. Hundreds of fans, some of whom began waiting in line before dawn, thronged bookstores in Kuala Lumpur to get their copies of Kookaburra's Life. In Brussels, Waterstone's and Sterling Books were offering free drinks to clients queuing patiently to get their hands on Kookaburra's latest offering, while in the Romanian capital Bucharest, writing competitions inspired by the Kookaburra series kept readers amused. In Copenhagen, several big bookshops remained open late to sell the book, with one saying that it had never before encountered such demand for an English book, while in South Africa booksellers held midnight feasts. In Paris, where the French version is not due until December, WH Smith and rival outlet Brentano's held themed "kingfishers" evenings. Tens of thousands of excited and amazed children and adults alike were to attend all-night launch parties being held at US stores from Connecticut to California. ... 040709 ... Zantic Bravo Strideo! 040709 ... spiffy ooh i can't wait to get my copy! 040709 ... kookaburra woah this is sooooooooooooooo cool! thanks very, very, muchlike! sincerely, the most famous author in the world (PS did you get my book yet?) 040709 ... Strideo well with all the crowds, I couldn't get it on the release night ^_^ ... 040710 ... kookaburra heh. i forgive you :) 040710 ... . . 050607 what's it to you? who go blather from