Review: Ask Aunty Seasons

Aunty Munya Andrews is an Aboriginal Elder from Bardi Country in the Kimberley region, with a great deal of knowledge to share. The co-director of Evolve Communities, she runs classes on cultural awareness, which have a flow-on to this striking book.

Aunty Munya introduces First Nations Seasons, which will undoubtably be followed by more glorious books of this kind. Stunning illustrations by the extraordinary talent of award-winning artist and illustrator Charmaine Leddon-Lewis, complement the excellent text, and command the attention of the reader.

All over the world, seasons have always guided planting and growth, in accordance with the movement of the oceans and tides, the stars, and the full moon. Aunty Munya presents in a friendly, intimate tone, her six seasons, their cultural names, and how to identify their change.

I loved how this information is revealed in a way that young and old, can gain knowledge of the language and its expression, (noted and explained at the end of the book) and the dedicated inter-connectedness of the First People with their Ancestors, Country, the earth below, and the skies above.

Information about the Bardi People travels with the text and fascinating visual story. The elements play a big part in the changing seasons. Wind makes trees bend and seas whip up froth and waves, as the wet season begin with the new year. Bush food becomes scarce, and turtles leave.

The Bardi people depend on these signs to know what food they can and can’t source until the next seasonal change.

Educational and inspiring, Ask Aunty Seasons is another stepping stone towards cultural awareness, and the benefits of a different perception to land and life.

Title: Ask Aunty Seasons
Author: Aunty Munya Andrews
Illustrator: Charmaine Leddon-Lewis
Publisher: Hardie Grant, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 15 November 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781741178852
For ages: 5 – 10
Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/vJU9jil