Dirt by sea by Michael Wagner, Illus. by Tom Jellett

Front and centre of this colourful large format picture book is an orange combi van with a Queensland number plate, the van Daisy (Daze) and her Dad take on a road trip around Australia’s coast. Five year old Daze loves her home in outback Queensland with its vast areas of red dirt but objects to the national anthem saying “our land is dirt by sea”. When it is explained that Australia is “girt” by sea, Dad realises he has never taken her to the beach and resolves to do the road trip, in their old van, he and her Mum did before Daisy was born. Setting out on Boxing Day it is a twelve hour drive to their first stop, Airlie Beach and from there they continue to the Great Barrier Reef, Byron Bay and celebrate New Year’s Eve in Northern NSW. Next stop is Sydney and Bondi Beach where Dad teaches Daze how to always swim between the flags, signal if she gets into difficulties and float on her back until help comes. We also learn that “your mother was a lifeguard, that’s how we met” the first of many references to Mum, absent but lovingly remembered. The trip, encompassing over 20 coastal locations, has its challenges, like tasting Coffin Bay oysters, and playing eye spy crossing the Nullarbor, but they experience the wonders of Australia’s coastline and grow with the experience. Snorkelling, jetty jumping, making sand mermaids and friends on the beach are all part of Australians’ love of the beach and all are represented here.

This is a joyful trip with lots to see on every colourful, detailed page where the author and illustrator operate together seamlessly. Summed up in the endpapers where Daisy’s worksheet naming the states and territories becomes a riot of colour and trip notes by the end, this is a book that will bear repeated readings, new details noticed each time.

Themes: Australia's coast, Road trip.

Sue Speck