1. Ancestors
2. Animals
3. Families
4. Friendship
5. Loneliness
6. Wangkatha /​ Wangkathaa people (A12) (WA SH51-06)
7. Yugambal people (E11) (NSW SH56-06)

This heart-warming story of friendship, love, family and home touches both child and adult. Bubbay lives alone in the Australian outback tending to his herd of goats. Each day his goats give him a little milk which he exchanges for some eggs from Mrs Timms. She too lives alone down on the plain. Both long for a family to love.

One night, Bubbay is visited by a star that promises if he can find a stone, an egg, a seed, a feather and a shell before sunrise, then he will receive a very special surprise. Grandma Bubarlee mysteriously appears and guides Bubbay on his quest. The beautifully textured coloured pencil artwork features deep, lush colours with special attention given to the Australian setting and animals that feature in Bubbay’s quest.

Often the story behind the story adds another dimension. ‘Bubbay’s Desert Adventure’ began life under the title, ‘Bubbay : A Christmas Adventure’, published in 2012. The storyline in both versions is similar, but with an interesting twist and consequence change in illustrations. Budding writers and illustrators may enjoy discussing these changes. Reading this story brought to mind the well-known song, ‘When you wish upon a star’ with an enchanting performance by Lexi Walker with the Lyceum Philarmonic Orchestra available in the Teaching Resources.

The author, Josie Wowolla Boyle, is a Wonghi woman, born in the desert of Western Australia. She is an acclaimed storyteller, singer and artist. Fern Martins, the illustrator, is an Ngarabul woman from New South Wales. She launched her career at the age of 19 with a one-woman sculptural exhibition and now has a career as sculptor, printmaker and artist.

1. Desert adventure teaches kids about guidance, encouragement and family by Caris Duncan https://nit.com.au/desert-adventure-teaches-kids-about-guidance-encouragement-and-family/
2. Fern Martins - illustrator. CBCA Tasmania blog, 4 August 2018 http://cbcatas.blogspot.com/2018/08/fern-martins-illustrator.html
3. Inheritanceartdesign website of Fern Martins https://inheritanceartdesign.com.au/book-illustrations.html
4. Lexi Walker sings when you wish upon a star with the Lyceum Philarmonic Orchestra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZcjc5WhmE
5. When you wish upon a star lyrics https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=when+you+wish+upon+a+star+lyrics&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
6. 'Desert adventure teaches kids about guidance, encouragement and family’ by Caris Duncan, National Indigenous Times, 20 March 2020 https://nit.com.au/desert-adventure-teaches-kids-about-guidance-encouragement-and-family/