Crow baby

Helen Milroy, Crow baby, October 2023, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN  9781760992842

Long, long ago when the universe was newly created, there were times when special things could happen. These times were unpredictable and unique – anything was possible.

This is the story of Daisy Crow, born with two spirits, one crow, one human. As a baby, she is guarded by both the spirit and human world, but as she grows older must choose one world to save the other.

Helen Milroy gives us a story for now in Crow baby that celebrates the beauty of diversity, in the face of sacrifice and selflessness. Poignant and lyrical, it takes readers on a dreaming journey full of adventure, whimsy, and hope. The text is lyrical and a perfect read before bedtime for young and older readers. Illustrations deep and colourful carry the story home and offer a wonderful introduction into the significance of painting and art in the First Nations’ way of life. Themes such as identity, belonging, courage and community also provide plenty of opportunities for classroom discussion.

This is a profoundly moving First Nations tale that takes your breath away in its storytelling – a must for any bookshelf.

Helen is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She is an advocate for Indigenous mental health and the wellbeing of children, and is currently the University of Western Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.

More of Helen’s books, including Backyard birds and Wombat, mudlark & other stories can be found at the publisher’s website with teaching notes for many them.

Reviewed by Shelley Stephens

 

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