I knew I would love this book from the cover that images
love and togetherness.
A red breasted bird hovers over the head of two
girls embracing. It could be a mother or other older person and a child. The
same bird is patterned on the dress of the taller one.
Indigenous motifs are
scattered over an ochre background which flow onto the back cover.
The book is about respect - for elders, family and
ancestors, country, the land and sea,
culture and traditions, each other and ourselves.
Also for stories passed on about everything that is above and below.
The striking red earth, the swirling velvet blue
sea and sparkling night sky, create images of the past and future. Shimmering
grasses and songs that are carried on a bird’s wing are portrayed in powerful
images.
The stunning artwork by the gifted Lisa Kennedy,
illustrator of Welcome to Country and
Wilam, encapsulates all that is
intended and necessary to complement the minimal and perfect text.
I loved this beautiful book that speaks of a word
that is lost to many of us, but which is being reborn, through the lessons we
are learning or relearning, from our first Australians. It’s an ideal teaching
tool to be used to open windows and doors for children, towards an
understanding of the Indigenous culture.
Title:
Respect
Author:
Aunty May Muir & Sue Lawson
Illustrator:
Lisa Kennedy
Publisher:
Magabala, $24.99
Publication
Date: May 2020
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781925936315
For
ages: 3 - 6
Type:
Children’s Picture Book