Mary Carmel Charles was the oldest living Nyulnyul speaker at the age of eighty two when this bilingual picture book “Winin Why the Emu Cannot Fly” was published in Nyulnyul language with parallel English translation. This cautionary tale was told to Mary by her parents when she was a child growing up at Beagle Bay, a remote community north of Broome.
Gullible Emu is unaware of the jealousy of his fellow birds and so he follows cunning Brolga’s advice to cut off his wings in order to fly up highest in the sky. Emu’s sadness at Brolga’s cruel trickery and the mockery of the other birds is clearly depicted in the black and white and full colour watercolour and ink comic illustrations.
Author and illustrator notes on the back cover provide an insight into their intentions behind their written and illustrative work, being to preserve and promote language, knowledge and skills passed down to them by their parents and grandparents. A pronunciation guide and word lists are included. The illustrator, Francine Ngardarb Riches is descended from the Bardi people of Ardyaloon (One Arm Point) on the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
