Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

• ISBN: 9781460765517
• ISBN 10: 1460765516
• Imprint: HarperCollins AU
• RRP: $24.99

Ryhia Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman who grew up in a remote community in the Gulf of Carpentaria. She got to know her Country though the stories her family told, and through walking in the places and footprints her family has travelled since the beginning. Her painting is storywork, and tells stories through pattern and design.

Ngurruwani Gudanji-marndi maga guda gurijba iligirra gamamjani
(Gudanji people are from the fresh water and hill country.)

I am so delighted that this new one arrived just in time to be the final post for this year’s Reconciliation Week feature, because it is absolutely sensational in all respects. I wasn’t familiar with Rhiya Dank’s work but trust me, I’ve had a really good recce now [OMG those t-shirts are gorgeous! just as a start!].

I love that this is a book that has so many applications apart from the sheer vibrant joy of it. For those who are doing those usual UoI on Australia, include this one so your kiddos get to hear and learn some traditional names. For those who are working on Post-Contact history, explore how the names of traditional places were obliterated by the white invaders and investigate your own local places. Invite some elders or knowledge-holders to come share those traditional names and stories about the people.

Each place this book highlights is marked by certain aspects that make it special e.g. Meanjin/Brisbane with our Norfolk pines and bogong moths in Gubbi Gubbi country, and beautiful Bruny Island/Lunawuni with the white wallabies, abalone in kelp forests and eyebright. Ryhia has chosen each description with such care and with absolute precision to encapsulate what is special about each.

And for each glorious spread with their riotous colours, the names are large and equally vibrant. How fascinating an exercise for your kiddos to explore and find out the traditional name of the place where they live and learn. What a gorgeous follow-up it would be for the jarjums to do their own ‘bubble’ or fancy writing and fill each letter with gorgeous designs, and surround the names with iconic aspects of the area. Redcliffe has several traditional names, depending on which part of the peninsula but for us, a five minute walk from Scotts Point, I’d say we should be using Banda Mardo. I would surround the name with dolphins, bull sharks, pelicans and red rocks.

This is contemporary First Nations art at its best – full of colour, life and joy and still with traditional symbols incorporated, and matched with the text is a glorious easy-to-learn lesson about the true names of places.

There is nothing not to like about this, and I hope to see it on awards lists in the coming year. Just fabulous!! I’m giving it a 5 💙💛❤️💚💜 rating.