Louie’s big brother Rocky teaches him important things like kicking and bouncing the footy just so and also about their country like protecting new shoots sprouting, setting little fires to prevent big ones, and respecting the country’s creatures. Life is perfect until one day Rocky reveals that he has big dreams and needs to ‘go chase them’. Louie sadly watches as big brother spends his last days catching up with friends and family. Louie pours all his brotherly love into making a special going away gift - a boomerang – so Rocky will return.
The lyrical text, pacing of the story and the deep emotions embedded in both words and illustrations form a perfect blend. Dub Leffler’s expressive images of this extended Aboriginal family capture these deep emotions which touch the viewer. The landscape is softly detailed in the background, but it is the emotions portrayed in each and every character that snare the viewer. Both story and illustrations are a perfect complement to tell this story of an Aboriginal family, their closeness to each other and their belonging to country.
Dub Leffler is descended from the Bigambul people of southwest Queensland. His picture books offer insights into the lives of Aboriginal people. Phil Walleystack is a Noongar man growing up in country Western Australia. He has traditional connections to Whadjuk, Yued, Ballardong and Wardarndi language groups. He is a singer/songwriter and ambassador for Aboriginal arts in Western Australia and is a presenter and advisor for the NITV series ‘Aussie Bush Tales’.
Raewyn Caisley worked with Aboriginal children living in remote areas of the East Kimberley region. She wanted to create a story about their experiences. She heard Phil Walleystack on the radio talking about belonging to country and the story idea took hold. Together they have written about two modern day Aboriginal boys growing up in the remote heart of Australia.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
