Which Jack?

Title

Which Jack?

Author

May L. O'Brien

Illustrators

Angela Leaney

Publisher, Date

Sandcastle Books, 1994

Audience

5-8yrs, Lower Primary, Primary

AC Links/EYLF

EYLF1, EYLF2, EYLF3, EYLF4, EYLF5, ACELA1426, ACELA1428, ACELT1575, ACELT1783, ACELT1580, ACELT1831

EYLF1, EYLF2, EYLF3, EYLF4, EYLF5, ACELA1426, ACELA1428, ACELT1575, ACELT1783, ACELT1580, ACELT1831, ACHASSK013, ACHASSK014, ACHASSK015 , ACHASSK016, ACHASSK017, ACPPS001, ACPPS004, ACPPS00, ACPPS006, ACPPS007, ACELA1443, ACELA1453, ACELT1582, ACELT1584, ACHASSK028, ACHASSK029, ACHASSK030, ACHASSK033, ACPPS0015, ACPPS0016, ACPPS0017, ACPPS0018, ACPPS0019, ACPPS0020, ACPPS0023, ACPPS0024, ACELA1460, ACELA1462, ACELT1587, ACELT1589, ACELT1591, ACELT1593, ACHASSK046, ACHASSK049, ACHASSK050, ACHASSK051, ACELA1475, ACELT1594, ACELT1596, ACELT1599, ACHASSK062, ACHASSK063, ACHASSK066, ACHASSK069, ACPPS033, ACPPS034, ACPPS035, ACPPS036, ACPPS037, ACPPS038, ACPPS041, ACPPS042, ACELA1487, ACELA1498, ACELT1602, ACELT1603, ACELT1605, ACHASSK088, ACHASSK089, ACELA1500, ACELA1502, ACELT1608, ACELT1609, ACELT1610, ACELT1612, ACHASSK112, ACPPS051, ACPPS052, ACPPS053, ACPPS054, ACPPS055, ACPPS056, ACPPS057, ACPPS059, ACPPS060, ACELA1515, ACELA1518, ACELT1613, ACELT1614, ACHASSK140

ISBN

186368073X

Language

Wangkatha / Wongatha / Wangkathaa language (A12) (WA SH52-05)

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Subjects
1. Children, Aboriginal Australian
2. Friendship
3. Glossaries and vocabularies
4. Laverton (SE WA Goldfields SH51-02)
5. Schools
6. Wangkatha people (A12) (WA SH52-05)
Annotation

Wanu is struggling to speak and understand English having recently started school at Mount Margaret. His friend Miyarn does his best to help but one afternoon, when they visit the mission’s garage, both boys are completely confused when Mr Jackson asks them for their help to get the jack. After some time, they return to the garage, not with the tool, but with one of the other boys, whose name is Jack! O’Brien portrays the boys’ embarrassment with the situation with sensitivity and empathy, reassuring young Indigenous readers who may share Wanu’s frustration with learning English as an additional language.

Expressive, realistic watercolour, gouache and pencil illustrations complement and enhance the story as well as provide an insight into an Aboriginal child’s life on a remote mission. The Wongutha language (followed by English translations in brackets) peppers the children’s conversations. A glossary and pronunciation guide conclude the book. This story is based on the childhood experiences of renowned educator and author, May O’Brien BEM, who lived on the Mount Margaret Mission from five through 12 years of age. This is one of four stories that reveal the challenges faced by Aboriginal children growing up in missions in the 1930s and 1940s. O’Brien is descended from the Wongatha people of Western Australia.

Series: Badudu Stories
Teaching Resources
1. Badudu Stories Teaching Notes, Fremantle Press https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/system/spree/files/attachments/000/000/852/original/Badudu%20Stories%20teaching%20notes.pdf?1417063525
2. Storylines, Westralian Aborigine Newspaper Article about May O’Brien (nee Miller) graduate teacher, Mount Margaret Mission, 1 January 1954 (Note no longer culturally appropriate reference to Aboriginal people) https://storylines.slwa.wa.gov.au/archive-store/view/8/170
3. Storylines, Photograph, May O’Brien (nee Miller) https://storylines.slwa.wa.gov.au/archive-store/view/6/2981
4. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, excerpt Australian Biography Series 11, 2007 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, excerpt Australian Biography Series 11, 2007

NCACL

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