18 Deadly Books for Celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day 2022
Today is a special day for the Foundations Family Day Care community: it’s Indigenous Literacy Day! As a First Nations-owned service with a strong focus on building pre-literacy skills, this is an occasion that resonates strongly with us all. Indigenous Literacy Day is hosted by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that works with remote Indigenous Australian communities to build literacy skills (reading, writing, and understanding). You can learn more about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation on their website.
To celebrate Indigenous Literacy day, we’ve compiled a list of 18 of our favourite Indigenous titles for all ages. Find these at your local library or use the links below to add them to your own collection. As much as possible, we have linked to Indigenous booksellsers. There is one title for adults that we have sourced from an independent bookseller as it was not available at our favourite Indigenous bookstores. Where time and budget allows, we always encourage shopping from independent, Australian suppliers (especially Indigenous ones!) to keep small businesses running.
Books for 0-2 Year Olds
At the Beach I See by Kamsani Bin Salleh - Created by Ballardong Noongar/Nimunburr/Yawuru artist Kamsani Bin Salleh, At the Beach I See is part of the Young Art series of board books. The bright watercolour artwork and simple text make this a perfect choice for babies who are developing their vision. This is Laura’s 6-month old niece’s favourite book!
This is Me by Sally Morgan - A beautiful book of encouragement and affirmation for little ones, This is Me offers colourful pastel artwork showing love in all its forms. Sally Morgan is a Palyku artist and writer. Through this title she reminds all children that they are important, unique, and special just the way they are.
Today’s Sun by Gregg Dreise - The high-contrast black-and-white artwork of Today’s Sun captures babies’ focus as they explore Australian animals with Kamilaroi creator Gregg Dreise. Share this lyrical text about finding beautiful moments in the everyday with your little ones!
Books for 3-5 Year Olds
4. Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein - Almost an Australian classic at this point, Big Rain Coming tells the
story of a remote Indigenous community waiting for a storm to roll in. Featuring evocative artwork by
Bundjalung creator Bronwyn Bancroft, preschoolers will love participating in chanting the titular refrain.
5. Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin - This beautiful book welcomes children to the
Wurundjeri lands around Melbourne. Aunty Joy is a Senior Wurundjeri Elder of our local Kulin Nation, a
friend of Foundations, and a generous leader and teacher.
6. Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester - While not Indigenous herself, beloved children’s author
Alison Lester spent time in the Gunbalanya community of Arnhem Land in 1996 and 1997. This book is
based on a story the students she worked with at the Gunbalanya Community School created about their
lives, called We Love Gunbalanya. Alison’s whimsical illustrative style help children see through Ernie’s eyes
as he shares his new life in Gunbalanya with his friends.
Books for 6-9 Year Olds
7. Aussie Big Achievers: Ash Barty by Richard Simpkin - Children and adults alike all over Australia have come
to love tennis superstar and Ngarigo woman Ash Barty. This beautifully illustrated biography explores Barty’s
childhood, rise to success, and tennis career in a way that is accessible to lower primary students.
8. Ceremony by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing - Adnyamathanha/Narungga man and former AFL player Adam
Goodes has teamed up with journalist Ellie Laing to create a series of books introducing children to
Australia’s First Nations history. Joyful and full of fun, Ceremony invites you to celebrate the rich traditions of
dance, family, community and caring for Country from the world's oldest continuous culture.
9. Fair Skin Black Fella by Renee Fogorty - If you’ve been around us at Foundations for any length of time,
you’ll know that not all Blackfellas are dark-skinned. This book has special meaning for the Hewitson family
as Kathi and her children have struggled with their identity and not feeling “Blak enough.” In this moving
book, Wiradjuri author Renee Fogorty reminds us all that, no matter the colour of one’s skin, being
Indigenous is about what’s inside you, not how you look.
Books for 10-12 Year Olds
10. The First Scientists by Corey Tutt - Kamilaroi man Corey Tutt is the founder of DeadlyScience Ltd., an
organisation that provides science books, early reading material, and STEM equipment to remote
Australian schools & communities. DeadlyScience wants to ensure all schools have access to our history of
science by providing resources that connect schools to the First Scientists of Australia, Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. In The First Scientists, through consultation with communities, Corey tells us of
many deadly feats – from bush medicine to bush trackers – that are today considered ‘science’, and
introduces us to many amazing scientists, both past and present.
11. Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe - From palawa man and author of Dark Emu (featured in
our selection for adult readers), Bruce Pascoe, comes this edition for younger readers. Compiling his
research on pre-colonial Indigenous life into this elegant hardcover volume, Bruce challenges upper
primary students to reconsider the hunter-gatherer concept of early First Nations people through his
exploration of eyewitness accounts.
12. Finding the Heart of the Nation: Journey of the Uluru Statement Towards Voice, Treaty, and Truth by
Thomas Mayor - Since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was formed in 2017, Torres Strait Islander man
Thomas Mayor has travelled around the country to promote its vision of a better future for Indigenous
Australians. Through the story of his own journey and interviews with 20 key people, Thomas taps into a
deep sense of our shared humanity. This book makes clear what the Uluru Statement is and why it is so
important, introducing readers to a range of concepts and principles outlined in and surrounding the
Statement.
Books for Teen Readers
13. Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson - Now adapted as a children’s TV series for NITV and ABC, Grace
Beside Me by Wiradjuri author Sue McPherson is a warmly rendered story of life in a small town. Told
through the eyes of teenager, Fuzzy Mac, awkward episodes of teen rivalry and romance sit alongside a
backdrop of quirky characters. Grace Beside Me is full of humour and timely wisdom.
14. Fog a Dox by Bruce Pascoe - Fog a Dox is the second title by palawa author Bruce Pascoe on our list. This
is the tale of Albert Cutts, a tree feller and a tree fella, and Fog, a fox cub raised by a dingo. Bushman
Albert lives a remote life surrounded by nature, and all is well until he has an accident. This is a story of
courage, acceptance and respect. With a gentle storytelling style and finely crafted dialogue,
Indigenous cultural knowledge and awareness are seamlessly integrated into the narrative.
15. Becoming Kirrali Lewis by Jane Harrison - This novel for older teens by Murawari author Jane Harrison has
been reviewed as “the best novel on Indigenous issues and perspectives…in a long time” (Mike
Shuttleworth, Australian Book Review). Set within the explosive cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1980s,
Becoming Kirrali Lewis chronicles the journey of a young Aboriginal teenager as she leaves her home
town in rural Victoria to take on a law degree in Melbourne in 1985. Adopted at birth by a white family,
Kirrali doesn't question her cultural roots until a series of life-changing events force her to face up to her
true identity.
Books for Adult Readers
16. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe - Our final recommendation by Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu argues for a
reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut
the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. Accomplished palawa author Bruce provides
compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production
and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history,
and that a new look at Australia's past is required.
17. Blakwork by Alison Whittaker - Blakwork is a book unlike any other on this list. It stands apart as a collection
of memoir, poetry, satire, fiction, and critique, composed by a powerful new Gomeroi voice in poetry. in
Blakwork, Alison explores the concept of a profound loss, and displays a fearless examination of the
present and interrogation of familiar ideas. Perfect for those who enjoy writing that challenges their
understandings and pushes the boundaries of poetic and narrative form.
18. My Tidda, My Sister by Marlee Silva - My Tidda, My Sister is Kathi’s personal pick for this list. This volume
shares the experiences of many Indigenous women and girls, brought together by Gamilaroi/Dunghutti
author and host of the Tiddas 4 Tiddas podcast, Marlee Silva. The voices of First Nations women that
Marlee weaves through the book provide a rebuttal to the idea that 'you can’t be what you can’t see'.
For non-Indigenous women, it demonstrates the diversity of what success can look like and offers an
insight into the lives of their Indigenous sisters and peers. This book is a celebration of the Indigenous
female experience through truth-telling.
So there you have it, 18 of our favourite deadly books for celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day! Which of these books will you be picking up next? Did we leave out your favourite? How did you celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day this year? Let us know in the comments. Time for me to have a cuppa and read some Blak lit!