ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PICTURE BOOKS
Murphy, Aunty Joy , Kelly, Andrew

Birrarung Wilam: A Story from Aboriginal Australia

40 pp. | Candlewick | August, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5362-0942-6 $17.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Kennedy. "Me no leave it, / Yarra, my country. / There's no mountains / for me on the Murray." This 1874 quote from William Barak, Wurundjeri Ngurungaeta (who was a leader of the Aboriginal Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group), opens this dynamic celebration of Australia's Yarra River Valley. From sunup to sundown--the creatures, plants, and people that call the setting wilam (or home) are illuminated as the river twists and turns through and around them, offering shelter, safety, solace, and more. Acrylic illustrations, vibrant in hue with an iridescent quality, include embellishments such as zigzags, curves, and traditional dot painting, which add visual texture. The sensory-rich text describes small moments in detail, such as an eagle soaring overhead, a possum in a nest, or rain dripping onto leaves and into the earth: "Deep in the yerin, wallert comes home to sleep in a bark-lined nest inside a hollow tree. Parnmin falls on djerang, flows down wirrip, and soaks into yeameneen beek." The writing fluidly shifts between English and Woiwurrung, in the same font and typeface, centering the bilingual experience of this Aboriginal community. Though (per an author's note) the Woiwurrung language does not translate directly to English, back matter includes a glossary as well as biographies of the creators, each with a personal connection to the story. (Co-author Murphy is a senior Aboriginal elder of the Wurundjeri people of Melbourne and the surrounding area.) A distinct and introspective reflection on time, place, creatures, and people.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

RELATED 

PICTURE BOOKS

Born Ready
by Patterson, Jodie
PICTURE BOOKS

The House of Grass and Sky
by Ray, Mary Lyn
PICTURE BOOKS

The Dog's Gardener
by Storms, Patricia
PICTURE BOOKS

And I Paint It
by Kephart, Beth
PICTURE BOOKS

Poem in My Pocket
by Tougas, Chris
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?