1. Climate
2. Desert
3. Dust storms
4. Literary devices
5. Teachers
6. Western Australia

The children are excited as they prepare for a visit from their teacher. They have invited Mrs White for dinner, to show her where they live, in the hope that she will understand why their homework is always grubby. When she arrives, in her clean white dress, the children show her their garden, but they don’t see the big red dust storm heading their way. After it passes, all their hard work is ruined. Their table laid with food and washing on the line, and Mrs White, are covered in red dust.

Acclaimed Western Australian storyteller, singer and visual artist Josie Boyle has written a poetic narrative describing the desert home. The climate is an important element in this book and is explained vividly through limited text.

The illustrations, by Maggie Prewett, a descendant of the Ngarluma people from the Pilbara, Western Australia, further exemplifies the home, garden and climatic conditions with her use of colour, direction and line. The poetic and literary devices used by the author will allow for extended use in the classroom, while immersing the audience in the lives of the desert people of Western Australia and the importance of getting to know others before making judgement.

1. Copyright agency reading Australia https://readingaustralia.com.au/lesson/mrs-white-red-desert/
2. Magabala Teaching notes https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0092/5043/9268/files/Mrs_White_and_the_Red_Desert_Teacher_Notes.pdf?2369