1. Animals
2. Aunties
3. Children as artists
4. Children as authors
5. Culture
6. Ecology
7. Kowanyama (Qld NW Cape York SD54-15)
8. Music
9. Relationship to place
10. Stories in rhyme

A lush sequence of paintings by students from Kowanyama State School, Queensland decorates this rhyming text, composed as a song by Wendy Notley. The children (pictured and named in the back of the book) have used their country as inspiration, but the animals and landscapes are familiar enough to appeal across Australia. Pictorial vignettes and tracks on text pages help the reader to find highlighted features in the paintings on facing pages and pre-schoolers will delight in being able to name their favourites.

Wendy Notley is a non-Aboriginal early childhood trained teacher who has worked in Aboriginal communities for 25 years. Aunty Wendy’s Mob create songs and stories that ‘honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, celebrate culture and explore the similarities and differences that exist between all children.’ The book states that ‘Aunty Wendy has taken great care to follow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols in the development of resources.’

Series title: ‘Growing Up Strong’ and 'happy to be me’ is the collective series title for eight picture books, two teacher resource books and digital audio material. The texts in the book series are adaptations of songs on the ‘Happy to be me’ CD.

1. Introduction to Australian Aboriginal culture https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/history/general-history/aboriginal-australian-culture/
2. More information about Kowanyama School https://kowanyamass.eq.edu.au/Ourschool/Pages/Ourschool.aspx
3. More information about Wendy Notley https://www.auntywendysmob.com/contact