Marlee Silva (text) and Rhys Paddick (illustrator), For 60,000 Years, Scholastic Australia, January 2024, 32 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760265274
Included in the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Picture Book Notables list.
Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman Marlee Silva has been joined by Yamatji man Rhys Paddick to create a brief history of Australia’s indigenous people. The focus is on the period since ghosts sailed in, called it Sydney Cove when they moved us off our homes, made us ill … took our will. Then the First People began to push their way back, and the focus turns to the success stories, the thriving, the pride and the future of the next 60,000 years.
Superficially this is a book for early childhood readers but the power and emotion behind the words considerably widens the audience to include all age groups. It is a book likely to engender lots of discussion and increase cross-cultural dialogue and perhaps disagreement. Paddick’s digital illustrations break away from what are sometimes seen as traditional First Nations colours and he uses a palette dominated by pastels, purples, greys and black highlighted with yellows and greens and occasionally other hues.
Though I appreciate and agree with the tenet of the book, for me it doesn’t quite work. I am not completely sure who is the target audience. But having said that I won’t be surprised if it is included in the 2025 Short list for the Picture Book category.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
