In this picture book parable shared between mother and son, 'Loongie the Greedy Crocodile' explores the consequences of greed and reinforces Indigenous beliefs of respecting land and how resources can diminish without respect. Loongie the crocodile has no friends because he has eaten them all, and the other creatures avoid him. When he crunches on some longbums (shellfish), their shells break his teeth. He swims out to sea and the wildlife returns to the creek. The short, simple text includes alliteration, onomatopoeia and a rich variety of verbs, and the story is punctuated by humour and comic timing. Readers see Loongie pay the price for his greed but may feel empathy towards him.
This picture book is set in Walaman Creek in the mangrove swamps of the Loongabid Community in the Kimberley Region. It was written by a mother-son team: Lucy Dann has connections to the Bardi-Djawi people; Kiefer Dann is a descendant of the Nyul Nyul people. The illustrations offer a beautiful display of words above and light below the water, and the way the light plays with this element. These vibrant, appealing illustrations are by Bronwyn Houston, a descendant of the Nyiyaparli and Yindjiparndi people of the Wana clan in the Pilbara region.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
