1. Animal tracks
2. Animals
3. Art
4. Belonging
5. Emus
6. Family
7. Helpfulness
8. Minjerriba /​ Stradbroke Islands (SE Qld SG56-15)

‘I’m lost!’ cries Emu. He can’t find his mob. He sees their tracks but not the mob. He is lost and probably a little frightened so he asks the other animals if they have seen his mob but they are not very helpful. Kangaroo is asleep, lizard is resting and a bit grumpy, Owl won’t share his food even though Emu is hungry and Cassowary gives confusing directions. One animal does help though as Turtle points Emu in the right way and Emu happily finds his mob.

A simple tale but one that any child who has lost their family even momentarily will recognise. This is a story about belonging, of finding where you belong, of searching for your group or your mob, that place or people that provide you with safety, love and security.

The text weaves in and through the attractive bright naïve style illustrations that reflect the colours of the Australian bush. Young children will delight in following the emu mob’s tracks and repeating the refrain, ‘Have you seen my mob?’ An excellent read-aloud book

Venetia Tyson is a Quandamooka woman from the North Stradbroke Island in the Moreton Bay area of Queensland. ‘My Lost Mob’, which she wrote and illustrated, is her first book.

1. Magabala Books. Teaching Notes by Christina Wheeler for ‘My Lost Mob’ by Venetia Tyson https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0092/5043/9268/files/My_Lost_Mob_Teacher_Notes2_X.pdf?2370
2. ReadPlus March 5, 2015. Fran Knight reviews ‘My Lost Mob’ by Venetia Tyson https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/my-lost-mob-by-venetia-tyson
3. Reading Time May 8, 2015. Julie Long reviews ‘My Lost Mob’ by Venetia Tyson https://readingtime.com.au/my-lost-mob/
4. Deadly Kindies youtube video 2021 Tallisha Harden reads ‘My Lost Mob’ by Venetia Tyson. The reader is a speech pathologist and provides hints for language development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lduy3gDaL-U