"When I was little, like you, I loved to go bush with my family. The other kids and I used to play all sorts of games, and we used to get our own food and cook it. At night-time, we sat around the fire and listened as our elders told us "Tjukurrpa Yara" - stories of the Dreaming. Then we went to sleep under the stars". As she shares her stories of playing with friends, building cubby houses, climbing trees, collecting sugarbag, digging for honey ants, hunting for lizards, and learning about the seasons, animals and plants, she creates a vivid picture of a truly Australian childhood in which country - "ngurra" - is life itself.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Book of the Year category by the Children's Book Council Award. It was recognised in the Patricia Wrightson Award category by the Nsw Premier's Literary Awards. It also was recognised by the Crichton Award for Best New Illustrator.

There are 32 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 2004 by Allen & Unwin .

Mary Malbunka is an Australian Aborigine who speaks the traditional Pintupi and Luritja languages. She is a contributor to the "Papunya School Book of Country and History. "