This bilingual tale follows the story of a clever crow as he steals a turtle egg from humans preparing for a ceremony. The narrative has a circular flow, as crow swoops down to steal the egg, loses the egg, then waits for an opportunity to steal the egg back again at the conclusion of the story. The circularity of the narrative is reflected in Bancroft’s use of circles in her artwork, which reminds us about the connectedness of humans, animals, and environment. The style of the narrative is reminiscent of a story passed down from one generation to another.
Clever Crow includes the Djambarrpuynu language, one of the many languages of the Yolŋu people of North East Arnhem Land. The Djambarrpuynu words flowing river-like through the pages alongside Indigenous art patterns. An orthography and glossary can be located at the back of the book to provide further context and meaning.
This book would be a valuable addition to a school or classroom library, to open up discussion about traditional Aboriginal hunting methods, Indigenous ceremonies, Aboriginal connection to the land, narrative structure, and the importance of preserving Indigenous Australian languages.
Nina Lawrence is a descendant of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji mob and was born on Yidinji Country in Far North Queensland. Bronwyn Bancroft is a Djanbun clan member of the Bundjalung Nation.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
