![]() The story includes evocative black and white paintings, mostly of the cockatoo. Jaru words are used throughout the story. It's contemporary, real-life nature is suitable for 10+ readers. Stories that reflect this situation are important for a sense of belonging, but also for opening up the wider discussion around the why's and wherefore's of this reality.īlack Cockatoo is a short story that oozes themes of connection, standing up for yourself, freedom (for birds, animals and humans), family, totem, animal rights, respect and complicated family relationships. In fact, I can only think of one family where this was not the case. When I was teaching, the Aboriginal children in my class, were mostly being cared for by their grandparents. ![]() She feels powerless to change the things she sees around her, until one day she rescues her totem animal, the dirran black cockatoo, and soon discovers her own inner strength." She is saddened by the loss of her brother as he distances himself from the family. "Mia is a 13-year-old girl from a remote community in the Kimberley. We also learn the importance of listening to the past, embracing culture and tradition yet looking towards the future.īlack Cockatoo will not only entertain readers from ages 9-13, it will also teach them about owning their beliefs and standing up for what they know is best.īlack Cockatoo would be a great book if o study as a class group as the Jaru language is scattered throughout the story-in context-so readers can learn how to speak this indigenous language from The Kimberley.Īs Australians we need to embrace more of our indigenous languages and teach not only those with indigenous heritage but also those who don’t.īlack cockatoo by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler is a beautiful story and I hope that it can be shared with many more children! We learn about the beauty of persistence, following your beliefs and believing in the power of positive actions. The story revolves around Mia rescuing a black cockatoo who has been injured by her thoughtless brother. She feels the pain of the he injured animals and smells danger and freedom on the wind. She lives with her family, which includes her grandparents, but feels lost between the culture and traditions of her past and the present world she lives in.īut Mia feels the past so much more than her brother does. Mia, a young indigenous girl lives on the coast of Western Australia in a remote town surrounded by bush land, water holes and hot red dirt. I adored this book so much so that I read it twice. If there was one thing I would change, it would be to extend the length as I think this could have added more depth to the character and theme developments. I liked the morals and themes included in this vignette which will definitely spark a conversation among younger readers in an educational setting. I definitely wanted more character exploration as I feel there were quite a few mentioned but none really explored enough for me to feel a connection to them. I liked the characters, especially the contrast between sweet-natured, Mia and her older brother, Jy who is going through a transitional period at 15-years-old and causing a rift between the two siblings. I did think the glossary at the back of the book was a great inclusion as it allowed the authors to include a selection of Jaru words for a more authentic narrative (however, I felt they didn't need to have the translation directly following each word when mentioned for the first time in the story - readers can simply skip to the glossary to view the word in English). It was slightly too short to be able to really dive into the customs and provide enough context, which is why this one was only three stars for me. I read this short book in one sitting and thought it was a good, albeit brief, introduction to Aboriginal culture.
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