1. Bardi people (K15) (WA SE51-02)
2. Birds
3. Bush medicine
4. Bush tucker
5. Camping
6. Climate
7. Cooking
8. Country
9. Cultural protocols
10. Culture
11. Daily life
12. Environment
13. Environmental education
14. Environmental protection
15. Family
16. Fire
17. Fishing
18. Food
19. Fruit
20. Hunting and gathering
21. Indigenous knowledge
22. Intercultural communication
23. Nature Conservation
24. Relationship to place
25. Water sources
26. Wild foods
27. Wildlife conservation

Author Aunty Munya Andrews addresses the reader by using conversational language including both English and the Bardi language spoken in the Kimberley area of Western Australia. Her underlying purpose is to encourage young people to be more closely connected to their country as they are the people who live there and so must care for their environment. The essential message is that the land looks after us if we look after the land.

Aboriginal words in Bardi appear throughout with the English word following in parentheses. Aunty Munya imparts wide-ranging information including how to find water, discover which plants are safe to eat, how to build a shelter and light a fire plus how to find your way without a map.

Complementary information is presented in words and illustrations with fascinating details. For example, bush foods and their medicinal uses, where to find these and at what time of the year. There is personal involvement throughout for the reader, for example, ‘Finding water’ includes introducing yourself to Country by rubbing your armpit with your hand then placing it in water so Country can know you. The author and illustrator together engage readers and viewers by asking questions such as, ‘Have you seen a boab nut before?’ with its accompanying illustration.

The endpapers are an important addition for discussion. Eighteen small images appear giving the impression of looking through binoculars. These images then appear throughout the text and feature food, shelter and places. Each image is captioned with both English and the Aboriginal word spoken in the Bardi language.

Brief explanations inform readers. Some of the headings include: ‘fishing, hunting and trapping,’ ‘building shelter’ and ‘making fire.’ The author concludes, ‘I love my culture and I love my Country. But most of all, I love sharing it with you.’ A concluding two pages from Aunty Munya, explains how to pronounce words, additional brief information, and a link to her website with further resources.

‘Bush Survival Skills’ is the 2025 Winner of the Karajia Award for Children's Literature: Non-fiction, an award given as part of the Wilderness Society’s Environment Awards for Children’s Literature.

Aunty Munya is an Elder from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She lives and works within two worlds. Educated in Australia and the USA, she has degrees in anthropology and law. She has practised law in Victoria and New South Wales as a solicitor and barrister, and is equally well-versed in the traditional laws, customs and practices of her People. Aunty Munya is the co-director of Evolve Communities, an organisation that specialises in cultural awareness training.

Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is a Bundjalung woman, artist and illustrator, living on Dharug & Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains, NSW. She shares her passion and enthusiasm for creativity and visual literacy and encourages people to enjoy and engage in artistic expression. Charmaine fosters conversation about First Nations perspective, inclusivity and diversity.

1. Just So Stories 23 Nov 2024 Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe https://losangzopa.blog/2024/11/23/ask-aunty-bush-survival-skills-aunty-munya-andrews-illustrated-by-charmaine-ledden-lewis/
2. Evolve Communities ‘Ask Aunty: Bush Survival Skills’ https://www.evolves.com.au/ask-aunty-bush-survival-skills-book/
3. Booked Out Speakers Agency Profile of Charmaine Ledden-Lewis https://bookedout.com.au/find-a-speaker/author/charmaine-ledden-lewis/
4. Blackheath Area Local News 11 Jul 2024 ‘Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is interviewed by Hamish Dunlop including influential books read as a child https://blackheathnews.com/charmaine-ledden-lewis/
5. Evolve Communities biographical profile of Aunty Munya Andrews, Director, Aboriginal Elder & Cultural Educator NSW https://www.evolves.com.au/aunty-munya-andrews/
6. Australian Society of Authors 19 Aug 2025 Member Spotlight on Aunty Munya Andrews https://www.asauthors.org.au/news/member-spotlight-aunty-munya-andrews/
7. ABC News 28 Oct 2024 Isabella Ross writes ‘Aboriginal Elder Aunty Munya Andrews knows why social media users are so curious with Indigenous culture on Tiktok’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-28/indigenous-elder-ask-aunty-tiktok-first-nations-culture/104469522
8. Kids’ Book Review 14 Oct 2025 ‘Announcement: Karajia Environment Award Winners’ (including ‘Ask Aunty : Bush Survival Skills’ as the nonfiction winner) http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2025/10/announcement-2025-karajia-and.html#more