This simple story models ‘two-way learning’, that is, a bilingual language experience in both Anindilyakwa and English. In a rhythmic question and answer text, each double page spread asks, ‘When we go walkabout what do we see?’ The text appears in both the Anindilyakwa and English languages. The following page reveals the answer giving both the location and what is seen. For example, down in the billabong, there is a frog. At the beach there is a seagull, and in the lagoon there is a stingray. The repetitive pattern soon cajoles the young viewer to join in and to learn a number of words and identify the particular creature discovered. Each double page spread is completely covered with detailed and patterned artwork of earth and sky tones predominating. The youngest viewer has an opportunity to hear action words like ‘crawling’, ‘flying’, ‘croaking’, ‘hiding’, experience locations such as the lagoon, scrub and beach, and then see the images of creatures like the frill-necked lizard, stingray and cockatoo. The conclusion of this walkabout is warm and comforting when the listener hears, ‘Back home we see someone waiting for us – Grandma!’
The final two information pages provide fascinating details about the creators. Rhoda Dugururru Laura is a member of the Warnindilyakwa people of Angurugu on Groote Eylandt. Her mother tongue is Anindilyakwa. Alfred Lalara, the illustrator, is from the Lalara clan and he grew up in the Warnindilyaka Community of Angurugu on Groote Eylandt. Alice Durilla collaborated with Alfred Lalara by creating the raak cross-hatching, which appears as the borders and endpapers for this book.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
