1. Arrernte / Aranda people (C8) (NT SG53-02)
2. Astronomy
3. Bilingual books
4. Central Australia
5. Children as artists
6. Children as authors
7. Children, Aboriginal Australian
8. Literacy
9. Moon
10. Night
11. Rain and rainfall
12. Sky
13. Stars
14. Water
15. Weather
16. Whirlwinds and willy willies

This book is a celebration of First Nations language. It is part of a project called Anwerne Ingkerrekele Mpwareke : By Us, For Us. Mothers, Aunties and Grandparents sat with the children as they learnt about the sky, writing the words in Arrente and then illustrating the concepts. Each page contains just one word and illustration and the words are translated into English at the end of the book. Having the English at the end means the reader engages directly with the Arrente words taking clues to its meaning from the illustration.

The words in the book describe the sky, the weather and the seasons. The illustrations are vibrant and exuberant renditions of the children’s vision of the phenomena - apwape, (whirly wind) has great swirls of yellow spirals on a double-page spread. The background of each page is black so the colours the children have chosen stand out with particular clarity.

The Children’s Ground project aims to increase First Language literacy and give the children a safe place where they can exercise agency over their future.

The authors and illustrators of the book are Arrente people from Central Australia.

1. ABC Behind the News 25 October 2016 ‘Aboriginal Astronomy’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv8hKMj6ikA
2. Down to Earth 15 April 2003 ‘How Australian Aborigines read the Weather’ https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/how-australian-aborigines-read-the-weather-12740
3. ABC News 1 September 2017 ‘‘Changing weather: Understanding Australia through ancient Indigenous knowledge of seasons’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-01/indigenous-knowledge-helping-to-understand-changing-weather/8861124
4. Children’s Ground 20 February 2020 ‘Arrernte language learning’ https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=619907615494319
5. ABC Indigenous 5 September 2017 ‘Learn words in the Arrernte language from the Northern Territory’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOF0A22bGZo
6. Education N.T. ‘Arrernte Language and Culture’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mcVT7HL4i8
7. Australian Curriculum ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Weather Knowledge’ https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/TeacherBackgroundInfo?id=56577
8. Anwerne-Ingkerrekele Mpwareke : By Us, For Us Project https://childrensground.org.au/resources__trashed/anwerne-ingkerrekele-mpwareke/
9. Children’s Ground website https://childrensground.org.au/