yearmenn koondee bik.
Welcome to Country.
Traditionally, each Aboriginal community has a special welcoming custom to invite travellers and neighbouring communities to their land.
In this beautifully written and illustrated picture book, Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy welcome readers to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of Victoria.
This book articulates the importance of Welcome to Country in a way both children and adults will appreciate, emphasising the connection to environment and community and the symbolism of inviting outsiders to connect with the land and people of a particular region.
Aunty Joy Murphy’s text is simple and powerful, conveying the significance of the act of welcoming while still creating a warm and inviting tone. Lisa Kennedy’s illustrations capture the beauty of the people, landscape, flora and fauna, portraying unique characteristics of the lands of the Wurundjeri people.
Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy AO is the Senior Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri People of Melbourne and surrounds. Lisa Kennedy is descendant of the Trawlwoolway People on the north-east coast of Tasmania. She was born in Melbourne.
As a non-Indigenous Australia, I have always been impacted by the generosity of the Welcome to Country custom. I am delighted to now own this beautifully illustrated Welcome to Country, which I know I will read with pleasure and gratitude for years to come.
Title: Welcome to Country
Author: Aunty Joy Murphy
Illustrator: Lisa Kennedy
Publisher: Black Dog Books, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 August 2016
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781922244871
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book
