Evie and the bushfire by Becky Westbrook. Art by Jet James

cover image Stormbird Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781925856347. (Age: 8+) Highly recommended.

Evie and the Bushfire is a thoughtfully written picture book about the devastating bushfire that took place on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, in the summer of 2019/2020. The main character Evie is a spirit girl who lives simply as one with Mother Nature. She wakes one day feeling the sense of fire in her bones and seeks refuge in a cave as the land burns around her. She attempts to comfort people through their grief as she is known to have the gift of hope but only a young child Tom can see her. As even he begins to lose hope, Evie talks to him about strength and courage and takes him on a journey to see these in action: the volunteer firefighters, the farmers rebuilding fencing, the glossy black cockatoos spitting out seeds to regerminate the land, home cooked meals from strangers and the green shoots reappearing on the blackened tree. They discover fire again but it is not danger, it is the Ramindjeri men connecting with the land and preventing fire by using fire to protect their ruwe, our country. The community is angry with the fire but Tom talks to them about learning to listen to the land and live in harmony with it.

This story is truly one about hope, resilience, courage and community. It is also about looking to our Indigenous people for understanding and knowledge of sharing the land with nature. The illustrations in mainly black and tones of brown by Jet James are beautifully drawn and mirror the careful and gentle text. Throughout the story elements of colour are introduced to enable the reader to focus on important aspects of the text or changes taking place in the blackened landscape.

This book was written and published on the island of Karta of the Ngarrindjeri Nations with support from the Government of South Australia the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network.

Themes: Bushfires, Kangaroo Island South Australia, Friendship, Grief, Natural Disasters, Indigenous Beliefs & Story, Ramindjeri People, Hope, Courage, Strength, Community.

Kathryn Beilby