After living in the city with her family, Lilli is excited to return home to the Kimberley and to be reunited with her Nan and her special friend, Shadow, the black dingo cat, a shape-shifter, ‘a magical creature, a guardian spirit’. Lilli is alarmed, however, when she finds Shadow weak and fading because a spirit, Glog, has taken over his precious home, the mango tree. No-nonsense Nan and Lilli discover that Glog has lost his mangrove tree on the mudflats due to development of the town jetty, and resolve to help both spirit creatures find a home.
Information on the importance of the mangrove swamp to the native fauna and its role in limiting beach erosion during storms and cyclones is skilfully incorporated in this adventure, fantasy story. Half-page black-and-white monotone illustrations are scattered throughout this short chapter book.
This book is a Research Initiative between Fremantle Press and School of Indigenous Studies, University of Western Australia. Sally Morgan is the series editor.
Sisters Laura and Sabrina Dudgeon, descended from the Beniol Bardi people north of Broome and the Gija people in the East Kimberley, were inspired to write this story by the stories of their Nana and her own childhood experiences. Also featured in the Waarda series is ‘Lilli and her Shadow’ by Laura and Pat Dudgeon. Sally Morgan belongs to the Palyku people from the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Series title: Waarda series for young readers
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
