Just So Stories

Hachette

Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books

Apr 28, 2026 | 9780734423443 | RRP $24.99

So great to see another book from this talented pair of First Nations creators with more for your kiddos to learn and share about Indigenous culture. With the footy season well and truly underway, we know that many kids – mob or not – are keenly following games, teams and favourite players. The Indigenous Rounds across codes are always full of colour, excitement, rivalry and pride and the Sir Doug Nicholls Rounds are especially favourites with so many, given that the origins of AFL lie in the Aboriginal game of Marngrook.

Gulpa gaka! Welcome! Let’s play and run!
My name is Jahleel. Come join the fun!

I’m a proud Yorta Yorta kid, excited to be here.
Kicking big goals on the best day of the year!

With every goal, I cheer with glee,
an AFL star I hope to be.

Footy and culture come together as one,
in this land underneath the southern sun.

Readers, whether footy or fans or not, will thoroughly enjoy this lively book with its exuberant bunch of jarjums all decked out in their gear playing their own Indigenous Round match.

I love that illustrator, Janelle Burger, ably shows us that First Nations kids come in different ‘shades’ and hair colours, marking a visual departure from the stereotyping that so many have. In fact, the illustrations – and the fabulous end papers – are fantastic throughout, with so much discernible joy and energy.

It’s about pride, ancestry, team spirit, community, art and culture all rolled up into one easy to digest package. First thing I’d be doing with any group after sharing this would be having them design their own IR jersey – which could incorporate their own totem, something significant from their own Country or of personal meaning. There are commercial templates available but also free ones and some of the clubs e.g. the mighty Bombers [Fly up!] run competitions to design. They might also design, and even paint, their own mini-footballs in the same way some of the leading suppliers create special editions for these rounds.

And, no doubt, holding their own knock-out comp to celebrate would also be a big hit. Find some fun resources and activities here from Qld AFL for this May’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round. This one will score well with both boys and girls, especially the footy players, but will also appeal to others with it’s lively rhyming text from Jacinta and Taylor and those terrific illos. It’s a specky 5 🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉for readers from around Year 1 upwards.