1. Adventure
2. Animal welfare
3. Animals
4. Art techniques
5. Bravery
6. Camping
7. Courage
8. Danger
9. Historical fiction
10. History
11. Nature

‘Drover’ tells the true story of a group of drovers in the 1950s who are taking a large herd of cattle from Western Australia to Queensland. It covers the events of just one day and night in this long and challenging journey. As the drovers hunker down for the night, Shifty, a flighty bullock, is spooked by a tiny bandicoot. Shifty takes off into the night, followed by the rest of the herd.

The boss drover – revealed at the end of the book to be a young woman called Edna – takes off after Shifty. Expertly riding bareback, she catches up with him and brings him and the rest of the herd safely back to the campsite. The next day they are welcomed into the town of Dajarra, where Drover is praised for her riding skills and for bringing the herd so far without losing even one bullock. Information about the real-life Edna Jessop, Australia’s first female boss drover, is provided at the end of the book.

Anthony’s atmospheric illustrations are created using colour-saturated oil paintings. Grey-blue endpapers with a silhouetted stream of cattle draw the eye into the book. Inside, a warm daytime palette of oranges, yellows and greens morphs into the greys and blues of the nighttime scenes. Anthony realistically and enchantingly brings to life landscapes, animals, and people. And her depictions of the scenes where the bullocks escape and are chased down are full of drama and movement. This is a great way to explore Australian history and the role of women in it in an exciting and beautifully presented way.

1. Walker Books Teaching notes for ‘Drover’ by Neridah McMullin and Sarah Anthony https://www.walkerbooks.com.au/wp-content/uploads/resource/Drover-notes.pdf
2. Aussie Readers. Video reading by Neridah McMullin of ‘Drover’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AzEQ2_mLzA
3. The Book Muse: Book Reviewer of Aussie Books. 8 September 2021.Ashleigh Meikle reviews ‘Drover’ by Neridah McMullin and Sarah Anthony https://ashleighmeikle.com.au/2021/09/08/drover-by-neridah-mcmullin-illustrated-by-sarah-anthony/
4. Just So Stories 16 May 2023. Sue Warren reviews ‘Drover’ by Neridah McMullin and Sarah Anthony https://losangzopa.blog/2023/05/16/drover-neridah-mcmullin-sarah-anthony/
5. The Bottom Shelf 20 October 2021.Barabara Braxton reviews ‘Drover’ by Neridah McMullin and Sarah Anthony https://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/2021/10/20/drover/
6. Sarah Anthony Blog 20 August 2021. Interview with Neridah McMullin https://www.sarahanthonyartist.com/blog/2021/8/20/interview-with-neridah-mcmullin-childrens-book-author
7. Neridah McMullin website ‘Meet the Illustrator, Sarah Anthony’ https://neridahmcmullin.com/drover-meet-the-illustrator-sarah-anthony/
8. Neridah McMullin Website https://neridahmcmullin.com/book/drover/
9. The Weekly Times 11 September 2018. Candyce Braithwaite reports ‘Edna Zigenbine Drove 1550 head across the Country at 22’ https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/rural-weekly/edna-zigenbine-drove-1550-head-across-the-country-at-22/news-story/8e4a37b9aa90d871e79837f4a671db5f
10. Territory Business Magazine 6 October 2021. Sally Martin writes ‘Edna Jessop (nee Zigenbine) https://territoryq.com.au/edna-jessop-nee-zigenbine/
11. For Tennant Creekers. Heather Browm writes ‘The woman who mastered the outback’ https://fortennantcreekers.com/people/zigenbine-edna-boss-drover/