1. Bardi people (K15) (WA SE51-02)
2. Birds
3. Children as artists
4. Children as authors
5. Colours
6. Dreaming
7. Friendship
8. Helpfulness
9. Kindness

Few words and dramatic pictures are the format for all of the books compiled by Pamela Lofts for this Scholastic series. These have been many school children’s first introduction to Aboriginal culture in published story form.

Mary Albert, a Bardi woman in Broome, told this story to school children who made the pictures for the book. In the Dreaming, all the birds were ‘black – all one colour.’ A little dove pierces his foot on a sharp stick while hunting and the foot becomes swollen and poisoned. All the other birds rush to help. A parrot bursts the foot with her beak and the colour that gushes out gives the variety of shades that we see in birds today. The exception is Crow, who stayed black. The author of this story says, ‘My mother used to tell me lots of stories, but this story I loved the best, because I loved the birds.’

Series: Aboriginal story

1. Bardi Culture https://www.abc.net.au/life/education-is-the-key-to-keeping-bardi-language-culture-strong/11271482
2. STEM activities linked to How the Birds Got their Colours https://littlescientists.org.au/news-events/stem-literacy-links/how-birds-got-colours/
3. Nola Allen reads How the Birds Got the Colours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mda6CnUTX4U