‘Listen carefully to the voices of First Peoples. Seeking respect. Laying bare the deep scars of the past through truth-telling. Leading us to healing.’ Short sentences, such as these, inspire and instruct the young reader to feel part of a collective Australian effort to change our future, inspired by the music-making and ceremony depicted in vibrant paintings.
Jandamarra Cadd’s painted-up people engage the reader with their direct gaze from the pages, underscoring and personifying the messages. Throughout the pages, his varied paintings demonstrate stylistic elements which may be familiar to non-Indigenous readers, but in combination they reflect the dynamic call to action of the text. The shining opalesque technique used for the cover design draws the reader in. Text on two double-page spreads at the end of the book share Cadd’s inspiration for three selected images: his naming of the people who are shown adds an extra veracity to the whole book. Smith and Godwin’s text is saved from didacticism by portraits of a living culture.
Duncan Smith OAM was born on Wiradjuri Country. He spent his younger years learning his culture and painting with his Elders and members of his family. Elders in Duncan’s community took him hunting and gathering, and taught him cultural dances. Nicole Godwin is an award-winning author with a passion for the environment, animals and social justice. Jandamarra Cadd, the illustrator, is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendant. All three have collaborated on a previous book, ‘We are Australians’.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
