Sam's Bush Journey http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Sams-Bush-Journey-Sally-Morgan-Ezekiel-Kwaymullina/9781921541728

By Sally Morgan, Ezekiel Kwaymullina, Bronwyn Bancroft (Illustrated by)

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About the Author

Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina are a mother-and-son team. They descend from the Palku people of the Pilbara, in the north-west of Western Australia. Sally is well known for her best-selling book My Place, which documents the journey of her family back to their people and country. Sally Morgan is an Ambassador of Indigenous Literacy Day. Bronwyn Bancroft has illustrated several award-winning books for children. As well as being a children's illustrator, Bronwyn is a leading Australian artist. Her work is held at the National gallery of Australia, in state galleries and in the Australian Museum. Bronwyn is a descendant of the Bundjalung people.

Reviews

This cleverly written story, a collaboration between Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, carries a couple of telling messages for young people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. The concrete jungle and world of digital technology shelters and screens us, young people in particular, from the natural environment. The consequence of our sheltered existence is a lack of appreciation and understanding about the bush, its plants and animals, and for Indigenous Australians a lack of cultural knowledge, and the diminishing of their oral narrative tradition. Sam is one such kid, reliant on the mod-cons to get him by. A visit to his Nanna who lives in the bush is painful for him--too many mosquitoes and spiky bushes. Sick of Sam's complaints his Nanna schools him with cultural knowledge about bush tucker and survival without Google maps. His negativity causes something strange to happen, transported from his bed one night, Sam awakes to find himself in the bush. Forced to use his newly acquired knowledge, Sam gradually starts to appreciate the inherent value of the natural environment. This is a great book, suitable for lower to middle primary school students. Julia Jackson is a freelance reviewer and bookseller at Readings in Carlton