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Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu

Mar12
Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu

Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu

Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde

Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler

Emma Long

A & U  Children’s, 2024

32oo., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761067860

Australia is a land of so many different landscapes and landshapes, with its  diverse topography, geology, rainfall and seasonal changes meaning there is an incredible range of vegetation and thus living inhabitants.  Not the least of these is Kunwarddehwardde, the rock country of the Arnhem Land plateau which extends into Kakadu National Park, an area of almost 20 000 km² in  in the far north of the Northern Territory and home of many First Nations clans for 40 000 years and rich in cave paintings, rock carvings and archaeological sites that record the skills and lifestyle of these peoples over the millennia.

In this stunningly illustrated book, the team behind the CBCA shortlisted Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest, once again take the reader on a wondrous journey through this jaw-dropping country, this time during yekke, the early dry season, to see what is there.  Through commentary that seamlessly incorporates the Kindjeyhmi language (with icons that explain what is being  identified)  interwoven through the vivid, detailed illustrations, the reader not only learns to use their eyes, ears and nose but to really use them keenly for there is much that is there but which is often overlooked.  As well as pointing out these hidden gems like the alyurr that grow in the rock crevices, their ancient stories are also shared – hidden among these tiny plants are tiny grasshoppers  known as the Lightning People’s children, coming out of the soil as the rains begin, gradually shedding their skins and revealing their bright colours so they can find a mate. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

As well as the explanatory text there is also an illustrated glossary that offers both English translations (and Latin where appropriate) as well as being a sort of “Where’s Wally ” challenge as you return to the page to try to find the things you missed.  Wide-ranging teachers’ notes are available from the publisher’s page, including a link to both a reading of the story, and the glossary – also accessible via a QR code from the introductory page of the book. 

Lucas’s first book, Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu, published 20 years ago led the way to opening up this land to our young readers so they could begin to understand its ancient stories and those who shared them and this stunning book continues the tradition. Like its predecessors, this has also been acknowledged as a Notable for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Eve Pownall Award.

Certainly one that will encourage readers to book an adventure.

Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles

Feb4
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles

Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles

Corey Tutt

Ben Williams

A & U Children, 2025

140pp., hbk., RRP $A32.99

9781761181030

There is an old adage that says, “Never judge a book by its cover” and it certainly applies to this one for, at first glance, it would appear to be yet another one about the deadly and dangerous reptiles that inhabit the planet. 

But if you look more closely you will see the words, “from the author of The First Scientists” and you realise that the word “deadly” is used in its Aboriginal context of meaning ‘excellent’, ‘fabulous’ or ‘awesome’ and so, instead of having just another addition to your 597.9 collection, you have something new and unique.  For this is an examination of the reptiles that inhabit Australia, arranged by the Country on which they are found while celebrating their original indigenous names so that the links back to thousands of years of knowledge are strengthened.

Beginning with an intro from the author about the why, what and how of the book (which has been a childhood dream), it continues with general information about turtles, lizards, crocodiles and snakes especially their importance to the ecosystems and the threats they face as well as how the individual can help, and then, using the AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia as a guide, the various reptiles of 20 of the First Nations are featured individually.  Each Country is itself given a brief introduction including a map of its location within the continent and the predominant language.

Accessible text and colourful illustrations offer an insight into favourite feeds, breeding and babies, conservation, predators and prey, and most importantly, what makes that reptile deadly (in a good way) as well as  descriptions of the landscapes where each can be found, and threaded through it all is the author’s passion for the topic. 

This is so much more than an information book about the reptiles of Australia, and, IMO, is an essential addition to the library’s collection for many more reasons than its factual content. 

Giinagay Juluum, Hello Mountains

Nov2
Giinagay Juluum, Hello Mountains

Giinagay Juluum, Hello Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giinagay Juluum, Hello Mountains

Melissa Greenwood

ABC Books, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780733343025

The juluum (mountain) watches over us as we walk proudly on Country.
Me, Jinda, Miimi and Gami take note of all the subtle changes in nature
as we walk up, up the rocky path towards the peaks…

As the mountains and their ancestors watch over them, the family under the guidance of Aunty make their way through the oft-trodden pathways to the mountain peaks for the corroboree acknowledging and respecting the land and it inhabitants  as they go.  It is Spring and there is fresh, green growth on the trees (jaliigirrin). birds are singing, and the bandicoots (duura), kangaroos (nunguu), koalas (dunggiirr),  snakes (dungguuny) and goannas (wirriiga) are calling, moving and mating while the bindarray (river) rises and falls with the snow melt, threading through the land connecting everything and bringing life to all.

And as they walk barefoot through the landscape, the children learn its stories, how it was made and how to walk it respectfully and pay homage to those who have gone before and those who will come after.

Much as I love the ocean and its endless motion soothes my soul, my home now is in Australia’s mountains, and, while so different from the mountains of my homeland in the south of New Zealand’s South Island, there is nothing quite like the silence, solitude  and  size of this land, such as is spread before me as I write this.  I can see much of what is described in the story – all except the river although the Murrumbidgee is only 200 metres at the bottom of the valley – and while we are not blessed with duura or dunggiirr we do have kangaroos, wallabies, possums, echidnas, wombats aplenty and the most amazing parade of native birdlife.  For now it is the season of the crimson rosella and the magpie, but soon it will be the cockatoos, galahs, gang gangs and kookaburras as the new Spring growth turns to flowers and seeds as the warmth spreads.  

So while Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean took me back to my roots of growing up on the seashore of Bluff, this one brings me into the here and now revitalising the senses that drew me here originally. 

As with its predecessor, the text is woven together by stunning artwork that tells its own story and the full text is included in both English and Gumbaynggir in the final pages, adding to the resources for preserving and revitalising First Nations languages.  But most significantly, as again they thank the land for its protection and it awaits their return, there is that inner feeling of being in the moment, taking note of surroundings and what is going on in them, seeing through eyes not a camera lens and being connected that gives meaning to the now-familiar Acknowledgement of Country so that it more than a collection of words, encouraging readers to see with new eyes and listen with new ears.   

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Sep11
Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Ebony Froome

Leanne Zilm

Fremantle Press, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760994211

In some parts of Australia, the yellow of wattles and daffodils, fierce winds and can’t-make-up-their-mind temperatures are heralding Spring, one of four distinct seasons that our littlies learn about.  In other parts, the heat and humidity are starting to build as the monotonous dry season ends and the Wet comes in with its tumultuous times: and in others First Nations peoples are seeing other signs as they move through their traditional cycles.  For the Noongar in south-west region of Western Australia, this is the time of Djilba, the season of conception when the “koolbardi is swooping to protect his nest, when the dark emu is high in the kedalak sky, when the balgga stems emerge tall and strong, when the yonga and the koomool carry their babies.”

For generations, so many children have been taught that during this planet’s annual journey around the sun, we experience just four seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – but now perspectives are widening and beautiful books like this show that different peoples in different places have entirely different timeframes and different names for the patterns of Nature and its phenomena.  For those on Noongar boodja there are six seasons, each with its own distinct signs and times…

  • Birak—season of the young. First summer: December-January. …
  • Bunuru—season of adolescence. Second summer: February-March. …
  • Djeran—season of adulthood. Autumn: April-May. …
  • Makuru—season of fertility. Winter: June-July. …
  • Djilba—season of conception. First spring: August-September. …
  • Kambarang—season of birth.

Written in a mix of English and Noongar but with indigenous words easily distinguishable by looking at the beautiful illustrations (with a glossary for clarification), the reader is taken on a journey through the calendar that, unlike the “English” version which has changes in weather at its heart. focuses on the subtle but significant changes that happen in the life of the local flora and fauna and form the patterns and cycles of life.

But even children on the East Coast, or those for whom Noongar is not their first language can appreciate the beauty and value of this book because it encourages them to look beyond those most obvious signs of change (many of which involve introduced species anyway) and examine the changes in the original, natural environment, and, indeed, their connections and interdependence.  “On Noongar boodja, we know the season is Kambarang when… the kaaril [blue swimmer crab]  is spawning and it’s best not take them.”  It could also inspire an investigation into the indigenous weather knowledge of their own country  as they not only learn to appreciate the knowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have developed over thousands and thousands of years, but also better understand that connection to Country that is at the heart of their culture.

Just Like You

Aug24
Just Like You

Just Like You/ Bitjan Nhakuna Nhe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Like You/ Bitjan Nhakuna Nhe

Natashia Curtin

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760658069

Sometimes the world of today’s children seems so very different from that of their parents, particularly given the advances of and accessibility to technology,  but when you put that aside, literally and figuratively, it turns out that both generations like the same things – playing with friends, building cubbies, dancing to music, jumping in puddles, having cuddles… 

In this dual -language picture book, Natashia Curtin draws inspiration from her time growing up in Arnhem Land in a unique exploration of the universality of childhood as she shows her child that they share a love for the same things – it’s just that grew up in a Yolngu township in the Northern Territory rather than the city and so while both generations enjoy a picnic in the park or jumping into the pool, the settings are very different.  By the clever juxtaposition of the illustrations ,and the use of both English and Gupapuynu, young readers can follow both journeys and enjoy the similarities and differences at the same time.  

Regardless of the nature of the reader’s heritage, this is an opportunity to explore how similar childhood likes are for everyone, regardless of the time or place and there are discussion notes to help guide the conversations.  As well as a wonderful tool to help bridge the gap across generations, some children might be surprised to find that those who “have come across the seas” enjoy the same things they do, even if they do it in a different way, again building conversations, connections, and ultimately, communities.  There ls all sorts of scope to use the dual-language nature of this book to reach out to those whose mother tongue is not English to share their words for the activities, building a multi-lingual display that demonstrates, that for children, play is universal. 

This has the potential to be so much more than a reminiscing between mother and daughter, and for that, deserves a place in the collection as well as promotion for any studies of families and where they have come from.  

Yanga Mother

Jul19
Yanga Mother

Yanga Mother

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yanga Mother

Cheryl Leavy

Christopher Bassi

UQP, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780702268311

For younger readers, this is a beautifully illustrated story of the power of the bond between a mother grey kangaroo and her joey, told in both English and Kooma, the traditional lands in the Murray-Darling Basin region.

Wandaguli Yanga. There is always Mother.

But for those a little older, it is about the bonds between mother and child anywhere, and, in this particular case, as the notes explain, it “honours the strength and dignity of the women of Western Queensland, mardi matriarchs, and all First Nations mothers.” In particular it is the story of the author’s grandmother who was one of the many children of the Stolen Generation of the 1930s, and how before she was taken her mother told her that if they were separated, she need only look at the clouds in the sky to know that her mother was watching over her.

The grey kangaroo, and its need to stay connected to its mob, symbolises  both the connection between mother and young and animal and Country and teachers’ notes  explain and explore these concepts further, including links to sites with even further information.

But even without the indigenous aspect, young children can draw parallels between the way the mother kangaroo looks after and teaches her joey in a similar way to their mother looking after them, making it an ideal way to celebrate those bonds and connections between families.

For a more in-depth look at this story and its origins,  read Margot Lindgren’s blog post

Marringa Lullaby

Jun20
Marringa Lullaby

Marringa Lullaby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marringa Lullaby

Emily Wurramara  & Sylvia Wurramarrba Tkac

Dylan Mooney

ABC Books, 2024

20pp., board book., RRP $A19.99

9780733343551

Sea breeze,

stars rising high …

Night-time is here, it’s time to go to sleep.

Duwedirra (white cockatoo) flies home to her babies as night falls, and it is time for them and other creatures of the land and sea to go to sleep. 

In the Anindilyakwa language of the Gadigal people,  Marringa means sleeping and this is another of the lullabies specially commissioned and funded by the ABC to help children transition to bedtime. Like Tjitji Lullaby  it is one of a collection that are available to become part of the bedtime routine as it introduces our youngest to the sounds of the local languages of the continent. Available in both video and now print format, its gentle rhythm and striking illustrations celebrate the landscape, its inhabitants and the language in the most positive way.

Tjitji Lullaby

Dec10
Tjitji Lullaby

Tjitji Lullaby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tjitji Lullaby

Michael Ross

Zaachariaha Fielding

Lisa Kennedy

ABC Books, 2022

20pp., board book., RRP $A9.99

9781460715703

Tjitji – sleep is a present from a day that was gorgeous.

In the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara languages, tjitji  means child and the beautiful, lyrical words in this book make it the perfect finale for the bedtime read as the curtains are drawn on the day.  The stunning artwork features Mother Kangaroo and other animal mothers  settling their little ones as dusk creeps over the landscape, singing them to sleep as they prepare for the night with images of calm, peace, tranquility and safety painted in both the words and pictures.

As the anticipation towards a certain day in December grows, this is one that will  be ideal to soothe and quieten the excitement so that the child can have a restful night – just as all the animals in the bush are doing.

Little people can watch the Tjitji lullaby just after 7.25pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays on ABC Kids, or anytime on the  ABC Kids app or ABC iview, but to have it in book format so they can have it every night when it is the perfect time for them is such a bonus. Parents can learn more, including how to pronounce the words, here.