But there is a lot for Will to learn before then.
So, he must ask questions. They fly from his mouth as he watches Ollie dragging, heaving, and holding the sheep in place.
He is as quick as lightning!
One night Will follows Ollie into the bush and observes how he sets up camp under the stars.
That’s not all he sees. Bush
creatures come out: wombats, kangaroos and possums. An owl hoots from a hole of
a tree.
He is introduced to other friends of Ollie"s – animals whose lives he saved with bush medicine.
Things go wrong when a storm hits. The fences go down and the sheep escape.
When the troopers arrive and charge Ollie with theft of a jumbuck, Will’s world crumbles.
Can he convince the
troopers that Ollie is innocent, although now gone?
Will learnt from his friend to never give up. He sets out to acquire as many skills as possible in preparation for the day he will set out with his swag to find Ollie, and go Waltzing Matilda together.
This is a story filled
with optimism,persistence, friendship, determination, and love for wild Australia.
Beautifully designed,
writer and illustrator, Kim de Haan, brings to life the definition of Waltzing, Matilda, and
jumbuck, making their meanings clear to those who don’t already know them.
The front-end pages depict a path through glowing
red earth and Will starting out alone, with the
outcome on the back end pages.
A well-rounded purely Australian story with excellent text by Bec Nanayakkara and underlying themes that showcase how age is never an obstacle in friendship, nor is skin colour.
Title: The Jolly Swagman
Author: Bec Nanayakkara
Illustrator: Kim de Haan
Publisher: Woodslane Press, $27.99
Publication Date: 1 March 2025
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922800893
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book