Greenwood, Melissa, Giinagay gaagal, Hello ocean, ABC Books, October 2023, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733343001
Melissa Greenwood is a Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Dunghutti nyami (woman). Her Gumbaynggirr language is spoken on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she was born and currently lives.
The publisher’s blurb describes this picture book as ‘an ode to joyful days spent by the ocean’ – and it is exactly that! Greenwood has created a picture book that brims with colour and life. It celebrates the simple joy of spending a day at the beach: dancing on the sand, spotting wildlife, hunting for pipis that will be used for dinner, and collecting seaweed and sticks to build a fire.
The illustrations are exuberant: some with bold, broad brushstrokes, others with detailed dot painting. Young children will love the bright double-page paintings.
The text is in English, with some Gumbaynggirr words incorporated. Some of the stanzas rhyme, and some don’t, which is a shame as it doesn’t have an easy flow when read aloud. However, I love the inclusion (on the last page) of the entire text translated into Gumbaynggirr (where the rhymes may work better).
This book celebrates the immersive joy of a child’s day at the beach, and would make a perfect gift for a baby or young child. It should be added to every child’s library collection.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Gaby Meares
