Bush holiday by Leonie Norrington

Ill. by Brenton E. McKenna. Mates series. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74299 001 9.
(Age: 6+) Mates series, Holiday, Australian bush, Aboriginal themes.
A new book in the successful Mates series from Scholastic is a cause to celebrate as these little books are readily picked up as early chapter books by emerging readers, as well as being a good read for those with low literacy skills wanting to improve, as they have the look and feel of a novel but with large clear print, some illustrations and some words in a different font to allow readers to take their time with that particular word.
A book by Leone Norrington too, is welcome, as she writes so well about kids from communities where there is no distinction between black and white. In this delightful tale, Tillithia wants to go to the movies during the school holidays but her mother and aunt have a different idea. They are going out to country where Tallithia will be shown their land and how to use it and look after it. Norrington shows readily the pouting child in the back seat and this is underlined with the wonderfully apt illustrations.
In the end of course, Tillithia is able to understand more of what her family is saying, and joins in with the old ladies, creating a bush tucker meal to present to them.
This is a warm hearted story of bush tucker, of family values amongst Aboriginal communities, of how the customs are kept alive through generations, and so presents a very positive look at Aboriginal communities.
Fran Knight