Wombat, Mudlark and other stories by Helen Milroy
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815818.
(Age: 6-10) Recommended. Themes: Short Stories; Emotional
intelligence; Natural world; Dreaming stories. The author, Helen
Milroy, is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region
in Western Australia; she is also a doctor in the field of
Psychiatry and is a Professor at the University of Western
Australia, in combination with other achievements. Her stories in
this book are a wonderful infusion of the Aboriginal insights of
wisdom about the natural world and the emotional intelligence that
can be displayed by the young. Each story has a brief introduction
to highlight the strengths and qualities displayed by the animals in
response to difficulties and environmental issues. It is written in
a naively simple and accessible style with overtones of traditional
Aboriginal Dreaming stories and is illustrated by the author. It is
a charming and gentle collection of stories that are worth sharing
with the young. It would make a wonderful read-aloud collection for
teachers and parents.
Carolyn Hull