Just So Stories

UQP

July 2024

9780702268311

RRP: $24.99

A story of love, language and culture which speaks to the very essence of loss, colonisation, connection and resilience. This is not only an asset to preschool, kindergarten and older readers, but to all who open the first page of this exquisite book.’ Dr Jackie Huggins

Yesterday evening (7/11) I had the great pleasure of attending another fabulous Read Between the Wines event at Quick Brown Fox, Grange – amazing supporters of kids’ lit, creators and teacher-librarians/educators. Along with three other talented authors (Zanni Louise, Katrina Nannestad and Dr Lara Cain Gray) I was able to meet poet and author, Cheryl Leavy, and hear her read this beautiful, poignant book.

I had been waiting to review this gorgeous title until this month and then, when I knew I would be meeting her, held off until I did. What an absolutely moving experience it was to hear Cheryl talk about her family background and how this beautiful, poetic and moving book was born of the history of her grandmother in that shameful episode of the past – the forced removal of children from parents, and families from country.

We know our colonisers were not the only ones to do this but that really does not help a great deal. The inter-generational trauma that still is obvious today with First Nations struggling to reconnect with culture, discover lost family and lineage is terrible. This is one small way forward to introducing this sensitive topic to not only your younger students for whom it is a perfect fit with an oblique look at how important our matriarchs are in our lives, but can be closely examined in all aspects by older students, who can then go on to research the history. I would, for example, certainly use this in my provocation for a study of Rabbit-Proof Fence – either book or movie, and wish I had had it when I created The Kid’s home school study of that text. Both the simple poetic language and the glorious illustrations from Meriam and Yupungathi artist, Christopher Bassi are wonderfully expressive.

Hearing Cheryl read it in both language and English was a profound and emotional experience [and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one affected]. The connections for me: First Nations kids and grandies (still looking for lineage), the loss of The Kid’s mother, the loss of my own mother, made it all the more touching and pertinent. Please add this to your orders if you haven’t got it already, for either primary or secondary. You will find it an invaluable resource to support your cross-cultural teaching in a deeply meaningful way, with back matter to add to the text as well as teaching notes to support your classroom or library learning. A 5 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘 rating.