Brave young eagle by Rhonda Collard-Spratt and Jacki Ferro
Book four in the series, Spirit of the Dreaming, outlines the Yamatji story of the wedge tailed eagle and the zebra finch as an ancient law is broken.
Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt & Jacki Ferro tell a story of being yourselves, of following your dreams in this tale.
On Goonya-Wardu Country, Carnarvon, Western Australia, Walgathu the wedge-tailed eagle chick falls from his nest and then is too scared to fly. The Nyingari zebra finch family cares for him. They find him food and water and encourage him to fly but Walgathu goes off in search of his eagle family - walking in the sandhills, the water and the claypans. He misses his family and all they can teach him. He walks through the night asking those he sees where his nest might be.
An ancient law is broken, and the Great Water Snake spirit causes a flood. Walgathu rushes to save his finch family, spreading his wings and flying to them. He helps them get onto his back and takes them to safety. Today although the eagles can fly, they still enjoy walking and both eagles and finches still share their stories.
Through Brave young eagle,Yamatji-Noongar storyteller, artist and Stolen Generations survivor Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt tells a story of love and belonging, Brave young eagle teaches us to believe in ourselves and follow our hearts. When someone is threatened then courage comes to the fore.
A more involved story than many children will have read, this gets to the heart of the environmental rules, social norms and laws for living which have maintained Aboriginal culture for millennia. I admire the use of Aboriginal terms and names throughout the story, making Aboriginal language more familiar to younger readers.
The vibrant illustrations will attract closer inspection while younger readers will spot the animals they recognise on each page, and see the environments through which the birds fly and walk.
The last six pages hold lots more to entertain and inform. Two pages present the music and words for a song, Believe, written by the two authors for younger children. Over the page can be found more information about the authors, and facing that is glossary of the words used in the story, with the last two pages give more information about eagles and bandicoots.
A donation will be made from the sale of each book by Boolarong Press to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Themes: Aboriginal culture, Dreaming story, Eagles, Australian environment, Australian animals, Courage.
Fran Knight