‘Possum and Wattle’ is a visual dictionary of Australian words. It is published as a large nonfiction picture book with a glossary, and features illustrations of words beginning with each letter of the alphabet as fauna and flora (as indicated by the title – ‘possum’ and ‘wattle’) as well as other elements including ‘zigzag’.
Page composition is exemplary. Multiple entries on the page are separated by borders in the dot-patterned style and glowing colours of the illustrated objects. These pictures are two-dimensional. Numerous full-page spreads showcase singular items such as ‘rainbow’ and ‘river’ or depict a visual narrative showing relationships between subjects such as ‘ants’ climbing an ‘ant hill’, ‘bees’ near ‘blossoms’, ‘gumnuts’ under ‘gum trees’ and ‘home’ and ‘hill’. Many of these pages have a three-dimensional perspective. Many of the illustrations, including ‘flames’ and ‘net’, are stylised.
Bronwyn Bancroft is a Bundjalung woman whose exceptional art is also exhibited internationally.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
