Indigenous Peoples in Australia

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass comes a beautiful and lushly illustrated tale celebrating gratitude, reciprocity, and finding our place in the natural world, ideal for sharing with the youngest readers.

When young Bud sees people bustling around, intent on their chores and their screens, she is certain they must be doing important things—and she wants to be included. But wise Nokomis, her grandmother, shows her that there is a different way to find belonging, one that relies on stillness and observing the natural world. As Bud discovers the freely given gifts of the Earth, she wonders if she has something important to give back: What is her gift?

Infused with warmth, humor, and insight, and beautifully illustrated by Naoko Stoop, the first picture book by renowned author and Indigenous ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer inspires readers to treasure nature’s generosity and the gifts each one of us can share with the Earth.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 11.00" | Hardcover

A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...

I didn’t want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.

Bell Silverleaf is a liar.

It’s how she’s survived. It’s how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now—thanks to some political maneuvering—Bell is in the Queen’s Test. She’s one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she’ll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.

But Bell doesn’t know how much she’s been lied to. She’s part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she’s facing much bigger dangers than the Queen’s Test. She’s up against the gods themselves.

Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.

Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.

Reviews
"Intriguing and layered worldbuilding that draws on the author’s Australian Indigenous culture steals the show in this serpentine fantasy adventure." —Publishers Weekly

"Tucked into a twisty, fast-paced narrative that explores legacies of colonialism are subtle messages about the ever-changing, symbiotic web of life. Intriguing and imaginative." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kwaymullina spins a fabulous, otherworldly mythology around the dominant gods, the world they invaded, and Treesinger culture. Bell is a sarcastic, personable narrator, a smart-mouthed Chosen One who discovers friends in unexpected places and learns to acknowledge the pain beneath her own tough-girl exterior." —Bulletin

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+

Additional Information
272 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover

I Love Me is a vibrant, multi-colored board book that teaches kids one of life's most important lessons: self acceptance.

"I love my eyes, I love my nose, I love the way my curly hair grows!" Acclaimed Indigenous Australian creators Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina celebrate individuality and joyous self-esteem in bouncy, rhythmic prose and lively color. I Love Me is inclusive, fun, simple, and contains a necessary lesson for all about the positivity of self love.

Reviews
"[A] 4-page affirmation of self-worth for children everywhere.

Morgan and Kwaymullina, both from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, use traditional Aboriginal-style art to illustrate the unique attributes that make a child loved and lovable. Vibrant, patterned colors in deep, rich hues frame each page while dots, stripes, stars, and swirling bands of color emphasize the joyous message. Two smiling brown-skinned children, sometimes joined by a black-and-white spotted dog, are haloed in variously colored auras that emphasize their singularity and seem to radiate self-love. The occasional rhymes in the text are unobtrusive but not forced.... Onomatopoeic words repeated three times (“tap,” “thump,” etc.) add energy and rhythm. On the next-to-last page, one child with crossed arms looks directly at readers to ask, “Who else would I be?” before returning to the refrain, “And I love, love, love me!”

You just gotta “love, love, love” this joy-filled book." - Kirkus Reviews

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.00" x 7.00"

Authenticity Note: Although by an Indigenous Australian author, this story's text content is not necessarily Indigenous.  The artwork in the book is traditional Aboriginal-style art from an Indigenous illustrator and is, therefore, given the Authentic Indigenous Artwork label. It is up to readers to determine if this work is authentic or not for their purposes.

A timeless tale about difference, belonging, and courage that will inspire children to have faith in their inner strength.

The smallest bird at school, Jimmy feels certain he will never fit in. But Eagle reminds him that being small isn’t necessarily a weakness, and that being different can also be a strength. This book is loosely based on the author’s university experience of feeling he would never fit in, yet being mentored by a teacher who encouraged him to focus on his inner strength, rather than race or class.

This book is a landmark collaboration between two powerhouses of the Indigenous community of Sydney -- artist, activist, and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft and her son Jack Manning Bancroft, who is CEO of Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and has been listed among Sydney's Top 100 Most Influential People.

Educator Information
The publisher recommends this title for ages 3 and under, but it would work better with older children.

Additonal Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75"

An Aboriginal ceremony of Welcome to Country is depicted for the first time in a stunning picture book from two Indigenous Australians.

Welcome to the lands of the Wurundjeri people. The people are part of the land, and the land is a part of them. Aboriginal communities across Australia have boundaries that are defined by mountain ranges and waterways. Traditionally, to cross these boundaries, permission is required. Each community has its own way of greeting, but the practice shares a common name: a Welcome to Country. Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, the senior Aboriginal elder of the Wurundjeri people, channels her passion for storytelling into a remarkable and utterly unique picture book that invites readers to discover some of the history and traditions of her people. Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy gives the Wurundjeri Welcome to Country form in beautiful paintings rich with blues and browns, as full of wonder and history as the tradition they depict.

Reviews
"Kids may pick up Welcome to Country: A Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony expecting something less abstract, but they won't be disappointed. Murphy's book-length meditation invoking Wurundjeri customs and values is beguiling, and Lisa Kennedy's acrylic paintings—some so multilayered that they could pass for embroidered tapestries—are dazzlers...While Welcome to Country uses the distinctive voice of the Wurundjeri of Australia, it speaks to everyone." —Shelf Awareness for Readers

"Richly pigmented illustrations in a traditional style depict the close connection between people, animals, land, and elements. There is a formality in the tone of the text that some readers might find unusual but not unfriendly. This unique picture book lends itself easily to social studies curricula, but its poetic qualities should not be overlooked." —Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.13" x 11.81"