Gregg Dreise, Circles of Life, Penguin Books, March 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 978161340550
I was disappointed by my first reading of this picture book because the voice doesn’t match the illustrated age of the young girls painting with their uncle. But on second and subsequent readings, this problem became less important as I realised the strength of the message which the book is based on.
The girls are painting Gabayindah Guroos or Thank You Circles. The girls take old recycled paper showing life is too good to discard. They collect 5 sticks from the bush and a bowl which was once a piece of bark. The paint is ochre in various colours collected from the ground. The first dot is Father Sky. The next ring is Mother Earth thanking her for all she brings. The next circles represent food and oxygen, animals, ancestors, the Elders, children today and a wish for the children of the future.
While the painting is being done, Uncle talks about sharing and human needs rather than wants, taking far longer than the brief time I have taken to write it down. And the talk also encourages the reader, and perhaps an aspiring artist, to take the time to work slowly and reflect on what’s being painted.
Gregg Dreise has Kamilaroi heritage from south-west Queensland, and is a storyteller who is committed to passing on his culture.
Recommended as a lovely addition to our growing list of books about our First Nation inheritance, as well as the power of the environmental message about looking after the world.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
