1. Adventure stories
2. Aunties
3. Bush tucker
4. Country
5. Culture
6. Family
7. Fishing
8. Humour
9. Hunting and gathering
10. Mayali people (N44) (NT SD53-01)

The bush holiday is a story of a girl Tillithia living in Darwin who goes on a bush trip with her mum and Auntie Doreen. The story centres around the Tillithia’s experiences finding and eating bushtucker, and short glossary of the Mayali language for bush foods is provided at the front of the book. Over the course of the trip to country, Tillithia begins to catch some of her mum’s enthusiasm for the different bushfoods. Finally, the tables are turned when Tillithia is brave enough to catch the file snakes, while her mum hides in the car. When Tillithia and her mum arrive on country, Auntie Doreen, performs a ceremony to welcomes them to country and introduce them to her ancestors. She gets to spend time camping, fishing, and hunting with her cousins and cousin brothers and sisters, all the while learning about her country and culture. At the back of the book, there is a short two-page information section about Aboriginal Australian ceremony of “looking after country.”

The book is aimed at younger readers, just moving to chapter books. The expressive colour cartoon style pictures, demonstrate how Tillithia is feeling through the story, supporting the beginning reader to engage with the character and understand the story. The author uses simple descriptive language such as ’dogs bounce’ and insects whizzing and clunking,’ which should engage the younger reader. The book is published with some words highlighted by changing the font to emphasise meaning. The combination of descriptive vocabulary and varied print brings the story alive for the reader and helps immerse them in the experience of a bush holiday.

Leonie Norrington was born in Darwin and grew up in the Barunga community in southern Arnhem Land. She was brought up within a mixed culture environment with Aboriginal stories and issues surrounding her. Leonie's tales reflect her childhood. Brenton E. McKenna is a young Yawuru artist who grew up around Broome. Brenton hails from a long line of storytellers and draw inspiration from his grandmother’s stories. He was Australia's first-ever published Indigenous Graphic Novel Author.

Series title: Mates: Great Australian Yarns

1. Carolyn Carter, Scholastic Teachers Notes: Bush Holiday by Leonie Norrington and Illustrated by Brenton E McKenna. https://resource.scholastic.com.au/resourceFiles/Teacher_Notes/8243980_36883.pdf
2. Leonie Norrington website ‘About me’ https://www.leonienorrington.com.au/about
3. Brenton E McKenna website https://www.brentonmckenna.com/
4. Ten Things You Need to Know about Leonie Norrington. Children’s books daily by Megan Daley https://childrensbooksdaily.com/book-people-leonie-norrington/
5. Aussie Reviews 6 January 2014 Claire Saxby review of ‘Bush Holiday’ by Leonie Norrington http://aussiereviews.com/2014/01/bush-holiday-by-leonie-norrington-ill-brenton-e-mckenna/
6. ABC News. Darwin author Leonie Norrington’s book series The Barrumbi Kids to become a TV show. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-03/leonie-norrington-darwin-author-barrumbi-kids-tv-show/100947052
7. Perth Now / Rangi Hirini. The West Australian’s Aboriginal comic strip artist Brenton E. McKenna talks about his journey so far. https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/the-west-australians-aboriginal-comic-strip-artist-brenton-e-mckenna-opens-up-about-his-journey-so-far--c-7275872
8. ABC Kimberly / Ben Collins. Indigenous Broome author Brenton E McKenna's epic journey behind his graphic-novel success. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-24/story-behind-brenton-e-mckennas-graphic-novel-success/11239202