Neridah McMullin (text), Ainsley Walters (illus.) Knockabout Cricket; a story of sporting legend Johnny Mullagh One Day Hill, 1 February 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk) ISBN 9780992439736
Knockabout Cricket is a story about Aboriginal sports hero Johnny Mullagh. Set in 1860 this picture book is an exploration of Australian culture at that time and looks at the relationship between Aboriginals and Westerners as well as the impact of sport and how it helped shape Australia’s national identity.
Johnny Mullagh was one of Australia’s first international cricket stars and his skill with the bat and the ball made him a legend in the cricket world. This picture book is a fictional telling of how a young Johnny came to play the game of cricket.
The story is told from the point of view of James, a squatter’s son, and his narrative provides the reader with a sense of what Australia was like in the 1860s, the social standings of the different groups and the lifestyle. James is playing cricket on his family farm in Victoria when a stray ball ends up in the path of Johnny Mullagh and Johnny’s natural ability to ‘read the ball’ is revealed.
The language throughout is simple and appealing to a primary aged audience. McMullin cleverly conveys the story through a balance of fact and fiction. The story narrative is paired nicely with the use of fact boxes on alternating pages, providing a historical context.
The story is also accompanied by a biography of Johnny Mullagh which gives the reader insight into the actual man and the life he lead. A map to show where in Australia the story is taking place and a diagram of a cricket play is also included to help put things into context for the reader.
Ainsley Walters has a very distinct illustration style and her work has appeared in a number of picture books that work to capture the past and the essence of Australian culture. Like her previous work on Archie’s Letter, Burning the Bails and Side by Side, Walter’s illustrations are both appealing to adults and children. She captures the colours of the Australian landscape and the plants and animals that dominate it, creating a sense of time and place.
I would not usually pick up a book about cricket as my knowledge of the game is limited, Knockabout Cricket however, is much more than a sporting tribute, it looks at a significant moment in Australia’s past and tells the story of an influential figure. An excellent educational tool, this book will capture the imagination of the young and old and ignite a desire to know more about Australia’s history.
reviewed by Maria H Alessandrino
