Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson (text) and Cheryl Davison (illustrator), Country, Wild Dog Books, May 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN9781742036779
When a book is simple and stunning is actually anything but simple to create. Country has a restrained deliberateness that I’m sure is very complex to arrive at.
The text is not intended to rhyme, but it does feel like an ode. Readers learn that ‘country’ is the environment, the wildlife and plants, the waterways and sky, but it is still more than that: Country is songs and stories, art and ceremony. We are also told that we are all a part of ‘country’ and we have a reciprocal relationship with ‘country’ that allows both to be healthy.
The images in this book are outstanding. The style employs the traditional dot style of indigenous art, with some additional flourishes. The palette is very earthy, black, white, oranges, reds, olive greens and browns. The depicted scenes vary from night time to ocean, to treetops with images of birds, fish, people, bats and other living creatures, giving readers a complete picture of what ‘country’ is.
There is a quiet reverence that emanates from this book, and I can see it being used not just to learn about indigenous beliefs and culture, but also for mindfulness and connection.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
