"I will show you how to play with the ocean," Said Malu-Kangaroo. He took some wood And he worked it, And he shaped it and rubbed it and smoothed it, And he floated it upon the water...Described by the author as a modern myth, Malu- Kangaroo is a poignant story which tells of how people first learnt to surf. Malu-Kangaroo, a kangaroo spirit, carves a piece of wood and takes it to some children playing on a beach. He floats it on the water and shows them how to use it. The children learn to balance and guide the board through the waves, "riding the high crests" and "flying before the crashing breakers". With beautiful, evocative text and vibrant, intricate illustrations by acclaimed indigenous artist Bronwyn Bancroft, Malu-Kangaroo combines Dreamtime and contemporary imagery.

 

There are 40 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2008 by Hardie Grant Egmont .

Bronwyn Bancroft is an artist and designer whose artworks have been collected and shown by galleries throughout Australia and around the world. A descendant of the Bundjalung people, Bronwyn studied at the Canberra School of Art, eventually starting Designer Aboriginals, training Aboriginal women in arts and craft. She was one of the founders of Boomalli, the Aboriginal Artists' Cooperative, was a board member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, has been Chair of the Visual Arts and Crafts Committee for the NSW Ministry of the Arts, and is a well-known speaker on Aboriginal art and advocacy issues. Since 1993 Bronwyn has authored and illustrated many award-winning children's books, including Possum and Wattle and Patterns of Australia.