Meet Douglas Mawson by Mike Dumbleton
Ill. by Snip Green. Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780857981950.
(Age: Yr 2+) Douglas Mawson is one of Australia's most iconic
heroes. As the leader of the first Australian expedition to
the Antarctic a century ago, his journeys commemorated through
having his portrait on the $100 note, a suburb in Canberra named
after him and the longest continuously operating station south of
the Antarctic Circle bearing his name, Douglas Mawson deserves a
place in this series of books which celebrates great Australians.
The story of his remarkable journey which began in Hobart in
December 1911 is told in simple, straightforward text which is
perfect for its intended audience of younger students just starting
to learn about the people who have helped build our nation.
Accompanied by illustrations that use a limited colour palette,
reminiscent of the colours of Antarctica itself, and which capture
the beauty and drama of the landscape so well, it tells of the
challenges of this incredible expedition undertaken long before
there were mechanised transport or navigational devices such as a
GPS. The timeline at the end of the book provides a summation
of this man's amazing life and contribution to Australia's
continuing presence in Antarctica.
This series fits neatly into the history strand of the Australian
National Curriculum for Years 3-4, its picture book format adding to
its appeal. Written in a way that draws the reader into a story
rather than just a series of facts and figures, this is a perfect
introduction to the topic that teaches as it tells. Others in the
collection include Ned Kelly, James Cook, Mary MacKillop and the
ANZACs. It is so good to see publishers responding to the need
and demand for non-fiction that not only addresses the requirements
of the Australian Curriculum at an appropriate level but which
satisfies those readers who, from an early age, already show a
preference for informative books that offer them more than just
pictures to look at and interpret. I'm looking forward to the
next in the series which focuses on Nancy Bird Walton!
Barbara Braxton