1. Biographies
2. Discrimination
3. Environment
4. Environmental protection
5. Family
6. First Nations people
7. Floods
8. Food
9. History
10. Human rights
11. Language
12. Law
13. Racism
14. Resilience

‘Heroes, Rebels and Innovators’ honours seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heroes and heroines from the eighteenth - twentieth century. This large format book features a jacket with raised, bold and shiny lettering while inside, there are semi-abstract images of people and scenes that capture achievements. These stories often offer little known facts or detail inaccurate interactions between the original inhabitants and newcomers to Australia. These historical people include Patyegarang, Bungaree, Tarenorerer, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, Mohara Wacando-Lifu, David Unaipon and Fanny Balbuk Yooreel. Each character’s story is presented twice, initially profiling their achievements then a succinct retelling of their role in history. A second story provides information from the historical record. These work effectively together.

There are accounts of collaboration, such as Patyegarang’s willingness to teach William Dawes her local language, or Bungaree and Cora Gooseberry mingling with Sydneysiders in the 1790s. Some of the figures are warriors, including the armed freedom fighter Tarenorerer of Van Diemen’s Land around 1800. Heroes Yarri and Jacky Jacky rescued nearly seventy people from floods at Gundagai in 1852. They did this on their bark canoes, and have been remembered as Wiradjuri heroes with a statue located in modern day Gundagai. Many of these important historical people and their achievements have been forgotten or neglected.

This book is an important addition to existing histories of Australia with contemporary terminology used such as white settler, coloniser and invader. These are essential to truth-telling about these people and this history. These stories may inspire pride and increase interest in history among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers while simultaneously informing all cultures. Each person’s profile includes historical details with illustrations in bold outlines with blocks of strong colour set against page backgrounds in golds, deep reds, rust and dark brown. These convey strength and add to the striking presentation.

The author, Karen Wyld, is of Martu descent, the people of the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Jaelyn Biumaiwai is an illustrator of Mununjali and Fijian descent.

1. Teachers Resources by Kerry Klimm on the Hachette Australia website which includes further website resources https://cdn.hachette.com.au/resources/9780734419835-teachers-resources.pdf
2. Australian Writers Centre ‘Meet Karen Wyld, author of ‘Heroes, Rebels and Innovators’, podcast 31 August 2021 https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-430/
3. Illustrator Jaelyn Biumaiwai talks about her work as illustrator for Heroes, Rebels and Innovators - Stories That Matter - Australian Reading Hour 2021, 2 October 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOQpfh8foyc
4. ABC News by Melissa Maykin talking with Jaelyn Blumaiwai and Karen Wyld creators about ‘Heroes, rebels and innovators inspire a new generation of First Nation’s readers’, 5 September 2021 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-05/first-nations-heroes-rebels-innovators-inspire-next-gen-readers/100433150
5. ABC AWAYE! Podcast 11min 36sec with Rudi Bremer and Karen Wyld author of ‘Heroes, Rebels, and Innovators’, 24 July 2021 https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/heroes-rebels-and-innovators/13468098
6. The Wire ‘A Children’s Book Full of Heroes, Rebels, and Innovators’, audio download of 6 min 22sec https://www.thewire.org.au/story/a-childrens-book-full-of-heroes-rebels-and-innovators/
7. Kids’ Book Review, Anastasia Gonis reviews ‘Heroes, Rebels, and Innovators’, 9 August 2021 http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2021/08/review-heroes-rebels-and-innovators.html
8. Reading Time review by Kevin Brophy of ‘Heroes, Rebels, and Innovators’, 17 October 2021 https://readingtime.com.au/heroes-rebels-and-innovators/