Rocky, an ornate dragon, lives on the granite rocks in the south-west of Australia. His ancestors have lived in this hot environment for around 10 million years, and for more than 60 000 years they have lived alongside Indigenous Australians. Rocky's habitat is under threat, and his desert relatives in the north are facing challenges due to rising temperatures.

Using his knowledge of Indigenous culture and language, along with Western science, Rocky goes on a journey to see what the future may bring.

Written by Felicity Bradshaw, a retired Research Officer at University of Western Australia, and illustrated by Norma MacDonald, an Aboriginal Yamatji artist, The Great Lizard Trek will delight, entertain and inform primary aged children.

Features

• A timely introduction for children to some of the potential effects of climate change on Australia's animals
• Beautiful illustrations by Norma MacDonald, renowned Aboriginal Yamatji artist
• Interweaves Indigenous language and culture with Western science

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by CSIRO Publishing .

Author Felicity Bradshaw has wide experience in field and laboratory research into Western Australian native animals. She authored, and self-published, the children's story A Tale of Two Honey Possums . Now retired, Felicity has written a Biological Science Resource for Primary School children ( Be a Bush Scientist , published by the Centre for Learning Technology, UWA) that takes children through the steps required for scientific analysis of the natural environment. Illustrator Norma MacDonald is an Aboriginal Yamatji artist whose works feature in government and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. Norma is passionate about presenting her culture to young children; she does this with the aid of her art, her artefacts and her recounting of Aboriginal stories. Norma wrote and illustrated the children's book Spinifex Mouse (Magabala Books).