Bobtail’s friend: From the desert to the sea by Rhonda Collard-Spratt and Jacki Ferro

Balharda the bobcat feels pretty with her necklace of wildflowers. But the Bidi-bidi butterflies laugh at her and call her names. The bobcat desperately wants a friend.  

Hearing of her grandchildren’s bullying, Aunty Rhonda wrote this story of Balharda going from the desert to the sea in her search for friends. She finds that words can harm people, but eventually finds friends. Using Yamatji-Noongar words throughout the story, will prompt all readers to think about what these words may mean in the context, and they are able to turn to the last page to find the meaning. 

Bobtail’s Friend is Book 2 in the Spirit of the Dreaming series. Yamatji-Noongar artist, storyteller and Stolen Generations survivor Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt shares her wonderful illustrative technique, filling the pages with vibrant eye popping images, sure to attract closer looks at the details of Yamatji Country and words from the Wajarri and Nhanda languages of Western Australia. Aunty Rhonda teaches working together through her story of the journey that Balharda takes, and inspire us all to be proud of the skin we are in.

Aunty Rhonda was inspired to write the book after hearing of her grandchildren’s bullying. She takes the tale of the bobcat to show that everyone is different and reconciliation means working together, just as she has with non indigenous writer and friend, Jacki Ferro. The editor has included a number of pages at the end of the book to further inform readers. Apart from a glossary of Yamatji-Noongar words, there is a map of Western Australia, pointing out where this area is, a page about the authors, words again from Aunty Rhoda telling us how to behave, particularly aimed at students in the classroom, and a song about the story from the two authors for children to sing.

A fabulous book to be read and discussed, to be sung and mapped, it is blatant in its teaching to young children, asking for friendship, recognition and reconciliation as the way we can work together.

Themes: Aboriginal themes, Dreaming, Friendship, Bullying, Reconciliation.

Fran Knight