Big, big love by Lisa Fuller & Samantha Campbell

This beautiful picture book relates the size and shape of a mother’s love. It is bigger than a whale, taller than a giraffe, fierce as a lion, yet gentle as a calf. The love began before the child was born and will continue always. The love continues as the child grows, learning all the time, trying things out and growing bigger.  The love is like the flowing river, complete with its flora and fauna, yet it is immeasurable, it is just so big.

Even when they are apart, she loves the child, she loves seeing it grow and thinks about what it will become.

Together the author and illustrator of this book give the reader a glimpse into every mother’s heart. Nurturing a new baby is a full time job, reinforcing the love between them, the mother watching over its growth and development.

I loved the subtle way the traditions of her community are passed onto the youngster. He has decorated sticks to play music, is taken outside to learn about the environment, underscoring its importance to Aboriginal people. Mum’s safe hands can be seen on most pages, showing the importance of the mother in a child’s life, and I loved the endpapers with the large and small footprints in the sand.

Lisa Fuller is an award-winning Murri writer from south-east Queensland, who now resides in Canberra, while Samantha Campbell grew up in the Northern Territory and lives in Darwin. Both women are descended from Aboriginal groups across the Northern Territory and Queensland and their story and illustrations reflect Aboriginal values and customs.

Themes: Love, Aboriginal themes, Mothers.

Fran Knight