Walking the rock country in Kakadu: Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long
A magnificent sweep of the rock country of the Kakadu National Park, from the creators of Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest. Kakadu is a beautiful part of the Northern Territory, made national park generations ago and held as a highly esteemed part of the panorama of Australia. Using Kundjeyhmi language, one of the Bininj Kunwok languages of Kakadu and western Arnhem Land, grounds the story within the communities of Kakadu, giving the readers the opportunity of seeing these words in print and an encouraging prod to try them out for themselves. A stunning glossary at the end of the book gives the meanings of the words used, along with an illustration.
The book opens with an invitation to walk with the authors through the Kakadu, in yekke, the early dry season. The title page has a bird’s eye view of Kakadu with the names of the five language groups who live there while the verso has a map of where Kakadu is. A great way of aligning the reader with two views of the area. From then on fabulous views of Kakadu and its environs, flora and fauna are given. Loads of information is told as we walk through the landscape, with small pictures given where language is used. Along the way, stories from the Elders are included, giving a sense of the ancient nature of the area.
The sweep of the book is incredible as the family sees a pool where the karliki (native fish) are being replaced by the cane toad, and then to the rock shelters where they can see for miles over the landscape, spotting smoke rising in the distance and then to a cave where images on the walls show stories from the past, a history book there for all to read, including an image of a thylacine, long vanished from Australia.
Ben Tyler and Diane Lucas share stories, knowledge, and an all-embracing love of the land on this walk through one of Australia's most ancient and beautiful ecosystems, introducing good things to eat and how to catch then cook them. Hints on being a good tourist are included, where the children clean up their campsite and make sure nothing is left to show where they were. Each part of their journey shows another aspect of Aboriginal life here: the seasonal gathering of food, the knowledge of when to burn off the grasses, what the flowers tell them, and a host of things that tell us all about protecting this wonderful environment, brought to the page by Emma Long and her illustrations. Here is a vast horizon of seasons, landscapes, animals, birds and fish, caves, and paintings. Each double page is breathtaking in its coverage, as each page has a host of things to look for, to seek out and discuss. Each page offers far more than seems possible, so detailed are the illustrations. I loved looking closely at places I had heard about, then was wowed over again at the endpapers.
A stunning book which encourages all of us to walk together and engender a greater understanding of Kakadu.
Themes: Aboriginal life, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Animals, Birds, Fish, Flora of Australia, Reconciliation.
Fran Knight