1. Adnyamathanha people L10 
2. Board books
3. Bush tucker
4. Ceremonies
5. Country
6. Culture
7. Dance
8. Family
9. Glossaries and vocabularies
10. Multilingual books
11. Music

‘Ceremony’ is a joyous look into the traditional changing of the seasons ceremony of the Adnyamathanha people. The story follows the families as they prepare food, dress up, dance, and feast. The phrase ‘Nangga! Nangga! Yakarti!,’ which means ‘Welcome children come,’ is repeated throughout the story. This welcoming repetition feels like it is not only inviting the Adnyamathanha children to the ceremony, but those reading along as well.

The story strikes the perfect balance between teaching the important traditions of the ceremony while also using humor to keep the youngest of readers engaged. The rhyme and rhythm of the story, combined with the cheeky antics of the Adnyamathanha children, make this book a great read-aloud for younger children. In the classroom, this story could be used to teach younger students about the traditions, customs, and language of the Adnyamathanha people.

The Adnyamathanha language is embedded throughout the story, with elements within the illustrations labelled with the traditional Adnyamathanha word. Located at the back of the book is a picture glossary, showing the English translation for each Adnyamathanha word used within the story. A pronunciation guide is also included via a QR code located on back cover of the book.

Author Adam Goodes is an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man, born in Wallaroo, South Australia. Adam is most well-known for his AFL career playing for the Sydney Swans. He achieved many accolades in this time, including two Brownlow Medals and two premiership wins. Adam was awarded Australian of the Year in 2014 in recognition of his leadership in the fight against racism and empowering the next generation of Indigenous role models. Adam cites his young daughter as his inspiration to write books that teach the younger generation and their families about Australia’s Frist Nations history.

Ellie Laing is a communications professional, with a background as a political advisor and journalist. Like Adam, she cites her son’s own learning of First Nations traditions and songs at school as inspiration to further help families discuss First Nations history.

The illustrator, David Hardy, is a Barkindji man, whose expertise includes eight years working at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. His illustrations within ‘Ceremony’ perfectly encapsulate the joy and celebration that the ceremony brings to the Adnyamathanha people. The bright, expressive faces of the children and adults as they prepare and participate in the ceremony will evoke excitement and joy from younger readers.

‘Ceremony’ is a part of the ‘Welcome to Our Country’ series. Other titles within the series include ‘Somebody’s Land ,’ ‘Back on Country,’ ‘Walk With Us ,’ and ‘Dreaming.’

Series title: Welcome to Our Country

1. Booktopia, 2 Apr 2022. Adam Goodes talks about Ceremony (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5nhkwbcQs
2. Allen & Unwin. Educational Resources by ‘Culture is Life’ https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/dimo.allenunwin.com/assets/teaching_resource/9781761065064.pdf?t=2204070441
3. Allen & Unwin. Reading Resources by ‘Culture is Life’ https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/dimo.allenunwin.com/assets/teaching_resource/9781761065064_1.pdf?t=2204070539
4. Allen & Unwin. Bonus content (includes an audio reading of the book by Adam Goodes and information on the Adnyamathanha People) https://www.allenandunwin.com/ceremony
5. ‘Welcome to Our Country’ series page https://www.welcometoourcountry.com.au/
6. Better Reading, 19 Apr 2022. ‘A Celebration of Community’: a review of ‘Ceremony’ https://www.betterreading.com.au/review/our-review/a-celebration-of-community-read-our-review-of-welcome-to-our-country-2-ceremony-by-adam-goodes-and-ellie-laing-illustrated-by-david-hardy/
7. ReadPlus, 10 May 2022. ‘Ceremony’ review by Fran Knight https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/ceremony-welcome-to-our-country
8. Kids’ Book Review, 12 April 2022. Review of ‘Ceremony’ by Sarah Steed http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2022/04/review-ceremony.html
9. Just So Stories, 20 March 2022. ‘Ceremony’ review by Sue Warren https://losangzopa.blog/2022/03/20/ceremony-welcome-to-our-country-adam-goodes-ellie-laing-illustrated-by-david-hardy/
10. Adnyamathanha Online Language Learning https://portal.mobilelanguageteam.com.au/languages/adnyamathanha/