Fiona Levings, Before the Mountain had a Name, Forty South Publishing, May 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.95 (hbk), ISBN 9780645983579
A mountain holds its story within the layers of its body;
it is up to us to read it.
A picture book only in form, once you delve into the rich geological history of kunanyi/Mount Wellington in Hobart, you are presented with a story that is clearly crafted from a deep love of country.
Almost 200 metres taller than Table Mountain in Cape Town, kunanyi/Mount Wellington stands proudly part of Hobart life, and in palawa kani, is the only Aboriginal language in Lutruwita (Tasmania) today.
Several geological themes are available for readers to discover the 300 million-year-old story of Mount Wellington covering the Permian Sea, the Triassic Marsh, the Jurassic Forest, the Cretaceous Valley, tertiary times and the Pleistocene Megafauna.
Readers of all ages will come away with a deepened sense of the continent as it separated from Gondwanaland, and enjoy the many activities to help understand the illustrations, especially information about the animals and plants from each period and the fossil formations. A more comprehensive set of online teaching resources is available from Fiona Levings’ website. The book can be purchased from the publisher’s website.
Fiona Levings draws on the work of many scientists to share this well researched picture book. With a lot more scientific exploration yet to undertake this is a rare insight into a beautiful part of Australian land and country reminding us that…
Not all that is ancient is lost …
Reviewed by Shelley Stephens
