In the verse novel ‘Bindi’ award-winning poet Kirli Saunders portrays one tumultuous year in the life of an 11-year-old Indigenous girl, her close family and friends. Bindi Hoskins declares she is a ‘lover of art/horses/and hockey’ and she tackles life’s challenges with the same forthright stance. As she says, ‘Each day / a new adventure unfolds / for us all’. Bindi is acutely aware of the natural world around her: the dragging drought, the birds and their totemic meaning, the threat of fire. And this year she will face some huge challenges.
The story also vividly portrays the role of the extended family in supporting each other through difficulty. The storyline pays attention to the importance of Indigenous land management and in particular the use of fire and low-level burns to avoid catastrophic fire.
The Gundungurra language enriches the short lyric poems (in effect dramatic monologues) spoken by Bindi. Common but significant words – for example: bawa (bush) gummuang (mother), karrat (rain), garrall (black cockatoo), and canbe (fire) – are used throughout the text. A glossary and guide to pronunciation for approximately 30 words is provided.
For teachers exploring poetry, the book offers some enticing experiments. Concrete poetry, formal letters, and play script are all deployed within the verse novel to bring Bindi’s voice to life.
Pencil illustrations by Dub Leffler add telling detail and texture to Bindi’s world: horses, chickens, cracked dry ground, a black cockatoo and its feathers edge the pages throughout. The illustrations are apt since Bindi herself is a keen visual artist and uses her art to overcome challenges.
‘Bindi’ offers an immersion in Gundungurra culture and will readily appeal to readers aged eight to 12, who will identify with many of the events and incidents. Individuals and communities that have provided cultural knowledge are recognised in an afterword by the author.
Kirli Saunders is a proud Gunai Woman and award-winning international writer of poetry, plays and picture books. She is a teacher, cultural consultant and artist. In 2020, Kirli was named the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. (Magabala Books website). Dub Leffler is descended from the Bigambul people of South-West Queensland. He is a sought-after illustrator. He also writes books for young people.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
