A young child asks, ‘Please Mum, I want to meet my Ancestors. I want to learn from them, so I know who I am.’ Mum comforts her child with ‘you saw them yesterday, you saw them today and you will see them tomorrow’. Mum explains that the ancestors are heard through the whistling of the leaves and through walking through Country as they are around at all times, as they are the ‘spirit and strength in you and me’.
Isobel Bevis is a Gilmore College Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Program Coordinator. In the teaching resource, ‘The Beauty of Country and Family’, she explains her story‘s purpose: ‘I hope it develops an understanding that Aboriginal people have a spiritual connection to Country and why we are carers and protectors of Country, because our Nedingar (Ancestors) are within and part of Country. The relationship is reciprocal. Country will look after us if we look after Country. Our Ancestors are always with us. Everyone has an opportunity to see the beauty and wonder of Country, take the time to appreciate what is around us.’
The lyrical text is a read aloud pleasure with its repetitive and soothing language. The accompanying multicoloured artwork prods viewers to spot and identify animals, grasses, flowers and trees in a landscape filled with kaleidoscopic colours. Illustrations are acrylic on canvas and overlaid with paint. These strong, vibrant and detailed coloured artworks fill each double page spread with changing colours and varying light to reflect time and place. Each landscape is filled with plants, birds and animals that will encourage young readers to find more information about them.
The dual language text features Noongar first in bold followed by the English translation. This trend in presenting books with dual languages gives primacy to the story’s first language. A QR Code in the book enables readers to hear the story in the Noongar language.
For both creators, this is their debut book. Isobel Bevis is a Wilman, Ballardong Noongar woman. She was raised in a large Noongar family and grew up on Wilman Country. Leanne Zilm is a Wudjari and Gooreng Noongar woman born in Katanning. She reveals that nature inspires her, particularly the changing light over the ocean, flora and fauna in the Bremer Bay area.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
