Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Yildaan: Our Dreaming Track – Uncle Bud Marshall with Yandaarra. Artwork by Hannah Smith and Elaine Carmady.

    Allen & Unwin April 2025 ISBN:9781761181382 Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $29.99 From Gumbaynggirr Country comes this stunning book featuring art, photographs, memories, anecdotes and Dreaming stories of the beautiful Nambucca Heads in northern NSW. Giinagay, welcome, I’m Uncle Bud. I’m a Gumbaynggirr man, an Aboriginal Elder from Nambucca Heads. This is my Country.I want…

  • Fast Fish – Gregg Dreise

    Magabala Books Hachette April 2025 | 9781922777751 | RRP $27.99 Have you ever seen a Gregg Dreise book less than spectacular? Yeah, nor me – and this one is another must-have resource for your collection. Gregg’s take on creating new and vibrant narratives based on old Dreaming tales is always both impressive and a fun learning journey for Smalls.…

  • Nan and Me series – Natasha Weribone

    Nan, Why Don’t I Look Like You? – Book 1 Nan & Me Series Paperback ISBN:  978-1-7640638-0-7 Hardcopy ISBN: 978-1-7640638-7-6 Digital online ISBN: 978-1-7640638-5-2 Nan, Where Did We Come From? – Book 2 Nan & Me Series Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7640638-1-4 Hardcopy ISBN: 978-1-7640638-8-3 Digital online ISBN: 978-1-7640638-6-9 It gives me tremendous pleasure to start off this year’s NAIDOC reviews with these two titles…

  • 2025 NAIDOC

    Welcome to NAIDOC at Just So Stories – coming up – a week of reviews and resources to celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary. Quotes attributable to National NAIDOC Committee Co-Chair, Aunty (Professor) Lynette Riley: “Over the decades, NAIDOC Week has grown into a powerful national celebration that continues to honour and elevate Indigenous voices, culture…

  • Mabo Day

    Bringing this year’s Reconciliation Week to a close with the reminder that today is Mabo Day. Eddie Mabo, the man behind Mabo Day Overturning terra nullius Eddie Koiki Mabo

  • Learning Country: a First Nations Journey Around Australia’s Traditional Place Names – Ryhia Dank

    Harper Collins Australia 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…

  • Desert Tracks -Marly Wells & Linda Wells

    Magabala Books May 2025 978-1-922777-66-9 RRP. $22.99 What an absolutely sensational book this is! Easy to see why it won the Daisy Utemorrah Award! And I’m going to say right now, this is one you not only need for your collection, but need to actively promote to your staff, especially those of you looking to…

  • Country Tells Us When… Written and Illustrated by Tsheena Cooper, Mary Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross and Sheree Ford.

    ILF Community Publishing  March 2023 ISBN:   9781922592460ISBN 10:   1922592463 9781922592484 (Karajarri), 9781922592477 (Mangala) RRP: $26.99 Community: Rubibi (Broome), WA Language: Yawuru The Yawuru people are the traditional owners of the lands and waters in and around Rubibi (the town of Broome). As more and more First Nations seasonal calendars are being shared with students, what a wonderful…

  • Earth Speak – Sean McCann. Illustrated by Jade Goodwin

    Boodjar Wangkiny Allen & Unwin ISBN:9781761181238 Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $26.99 I have been eagerly awaiting this one, having seen sneak peeks of Jade’s gorgeous illustrations in the interim. It is just as beautiful as it promised. As so many of us shake our heads over recent ignorant and ill-informed comments about Welcome to…

  • Tiwi in Paris – Glen Farmer Illortaminni

    Thames & Hudson July 2025 ISBN: 9781760764944 RRP: $26.99 The ‘fish out of water’ theme can work in various ways in literature – amusing, poignant, sorrowful, hilarious – it all depends on context doesn’t it? This one, to me, is the ‘innocent abroad’. For many of us who are unaccustomed to travel, the challenge of going…