Michelle Kadarusman, Berani, Allen & Unwin, November 2022, 224 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761068027
Berani by Michelle Kadarusman is a beautiful story for readers aged 8-12 about the complex interplay between critically endangered orangutans and the sustainability of palm oil agriculture on the islands of Indonesia. Berani unfolds through contrasting perspectives of Malia and Ari, two school children with different life experiences in Indonesia. Interspersed are chapters from the point of view of an orangutan called Ginger Juice. Ginger Juice lives caged with Ari and his uncle. These perspectives unfold with each chapter, entangled through Malia’s environmental activism.
The stories of Malia and Ari explore themes of bravery, cultural belonging, grief, ethics, family and friendship. The chapters from the perspective of Ginger Juice, the orangutan, are tenderly anthropomorphic, with language and imagery to support young readers to empathise with the physical and mental experience of a caged animal that recalls a wild existence. Whilst Ginger Juice’s experience can feel upsetting, these chapters are written sensitively and thoughtfully for the target age group.
Kadarusman explores a complicated sustainability issue in Berani without oversimplifying. The critical influence of differing worldviews (e.g. cultural identity, tradition, religion, socio-economic challenges, education systems, political power, sustainable agriculture) including how our values influence our behaviours and actions within various systems.
Berani is a powerful story of hope for a sustainable future for Earth’s finite resources. As a call to action, there are resources about sustainable palm oil agriculture and information about societies that support orangutan conservation. In addition, teachers or home educators can access cross-curriculum teaching resources for Berani from the publisher’s website.
Reviewed by Angela Brown
