1. Art motifs
2. Cooperation
3. Cultural diversity
4. Endpapers
5. Environmental degradation
6. Hand weaving
7. Indigenous knowledge
8. Intercultural communication
9. Kindness
10. Literary techniques
11. Marine animals
12. Sharing
13. Survival
14. Teaching
15. Visual literacy
16. Weaving
17. Whales

‘Afloat’ takes the valuable skill of many First Nations peoples, weaving and creates more than a story – a movement that brings together First Nation’s knowledge to capture and bring together diverse communities to understand and work together to overcome the threats to our environment and the future.

The book opens with an Elder inviting a young child to ‘Roam the water with me. We are here to learn.’ As the story progresses more people come to gather the plants required and to learn the work involved in rolling, knotting, looping and to yarn together. Yarn is an important word in this context; it is having an informal conversation that is culturally friendly and recognised by First Nations people as a way to share and teach information. As the weaving progresses creating bonds until a single woven piece appears so too do bonds develop between the diverse community of weavers learning, sharing and creating together united as one and able to move forward together to work to overcome the threats from climate change and division in the world.

The language used is sparse, carefully chosen, deeply poetic and replete in double meaning, integrating the creative or literal process of weaving with the metaphorical act of coming together. The blending of the two ideas creates a rich tapestry that illustrator Freya Blackwood has captured with her distinct style through soft-edged blending of warm earthy tones, teals and sea-grass greens. The weavers shown are diverse emphasizing the bringing together of peoples and showing surrounded images of industrial decay and neglect. Different perspectives are used showing both movement and a coming together as one. The final images show the finished woven work as a whale, able to rise above and stay afloat, a reference to the use in weaving of sea creatures by Australia’s First Nations artists. The endpapers have images of the completed weave and the front and back covers show people gathering, sharing and playing in the creek with the book’s title ‘Afloat’ embossed on the front giving the impression of floating above the water.

Kirli Saunders writes at the end of the book that ‘Afloat’ is a metaphor for weaving together, to form a raft, to brave a storm as one. It is a reflection on the global physical and political context of climate change particularly its effect on First Nations peoples and an acknowledgement of the deep connection they have to their homelands.

Shortlisted CBCA 2025 Picture Book of the Year

Kirli Saunders OAM is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, writer and poet and a proud Gunai woman. Kirli’s books have been celebrated in multiple literary awards across Australia.

Freya Blackwood is an award-winning illustrator whose trademark style is warm, perceptive and immediately recognisable. She has won multiple awards in Australia as well as the prestigious Kate Greenaway medal in the UK.

1. Scholastic Teaching Notes for ‘Afloat’ by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood https://resource.scholastic.com.au/ResourceFiles/100135196_124578.pdf
2. PETAA webinar video with Kirli Saunders. ‘Using ‘Afloat’ by Kirli Saunders in the classroom’ https://petaa.edu.au/Mp/Mp/Curric-Res/Webinars/using_afloat_classroom.aspx.
3. Reading Time 26 March 2025. Trish Buckley reviews ‘Afloat’ by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood https://readingtime.com.au/afloat/
4. Story Links 14 October 2014. Sandy Driessens reviews ‘Afloat‘ by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood. https://storylinks.booklinks.org.au/2024/10/14/afloat/
5. MoMo celebrating time to read 10 April 2025. Review of Freya Blackwood https://momotimetoread.blogspot.com/2025/04/afloat-by-kirli-saunders-illustrated-by.html
6. Kirkus Reviews 4 March 2025. Review of ‘Afloat’ by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kirli-saunders/afloat-2/
7. Just So Stories Blog 10 October 2014. Sue Warren discusses ‘Afloat’ by Kirli Saunders and Freya Blackwood https://losangzopa.blog/2024/10/10/afloat-kirli-saunders-freya-blackwood/