1. Belonging
2. Bravery
3. Community
4. Country
5. Dolphins
6. Dreaming
7. Endpapers
8. Environmental education
9. Family
10. Family relationships
11. Fish
12. Fishing
13. Food
14. Gumbaynggirr people (E7) (NSW SH56-11)
15. History
16. Indigenous knowledge
17. Nature
18. Reconciliation

In ‘Yildaan’ Uncle Bud, an Aboriginal Elder, tells the story of being on Country today and how that relates to his ancestors’ stories. He reveals the interconnectedness of the past and present and the relationship between the land and people. Readers are invited to travel into the Dreaming with Uncle Bud Marshall and Aunty Shaa to experience a creation story about two sisters. One sister is sought after by a young man who threatens to break the law of Country. His efforts are foiled resulting in him being turned into a night owl. The two sisters then seek retribution with a ritual resulting in the formation of the sea and seafood for future people.

The story uses a mix of Gumbaynggirr and English language and a combination of photography and illustration. The artwork is created by Aunty Shaa’s and Uncle Bud’s great nieces, Hannah Smith and Elaine Carmady. Illustrations blend photography of people with illustrations conveying locales and creatures living there. Occasionally the two types of illustrations appear together. The opening endpapers capture the landscape, and the closing endpapers offer small photographic portraits of people in the area.

Uncle Bud Marshall is a Waambung man of the Baga baga bari on Gumbaynggirr Country. He is a senior Traditional Custodian who shares his knowledge and wisdom with people young and old. Uncle Bud Marshall is a senior cultural advisor and the Elder in Residence for Yandaarra, an Indigenous-led research collaboration with the University of Newcastle. Artists include Hannah Smith who is a Gumbaynggirr woman, an artist, weaver, ranger/site officer, an advocate for change, preservation and protection of Aboriginal sites, culture, and land. Elaine Carmady is a proud Gumbaynggirr woman from Stuarts Point, an artist, and a Qualified Early Childhood Educator. As an artist, Elaine works in paint, pencil drawing, traditional weaving and language.

1. Allen & Unwin Soundcloud with Uncle Bud Marshall reading the story with sound effects added https://soundcloud.com/allenandunwin/yildaan-our-dreaming-track-by-uncle-bud-marshall-and-yandaarra-illustrated-by-hannah-smith-and-elaine-carmady
2. Allen & Unwin Teaching Resource for ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Uncle-Bud-Marshall-and-Yandaarra,-illustrated-by-Hannah-Smith-and-Elaine-Carmady-Yildaan-9781761181382
3. Scholastic Teaching Notes by Carolyn Walsh for ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ https://resource.scholastic.com.au/ResourceFiles/100141836_129315.pdf
4. ReadPlus 30 Apr 2025 review by Michelle O'Connell of ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/yildaan-our-dreaming-track
5. Allen & Unwin Publisher provides information about the creators and the ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ story https://www.allenandunwin.com/yildaan
6. Queensland Reviewers Collective 29 April 2025 review by Wendy Lipke of ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ https://www.queenslandreviewerscollective.com/2025/04/29/yildaan-by-uncle-bud-marshall-with-yandaarra/
7. The Book Muse 29 April 2025 Ashleigh Meikle reviews ‘Yildaan : Our Dreaming Track’ https://ashleighmeikle.com.au/2025/04/29/yildaan-our-dreaming-track-by-uncle-bud-marshall-and-yandaarra-illustrated-by-hannah-smith-and-elaine-carmady/