Vi. McDermott

http://www.gadigal.org.au/Arts/Munyourbarn.aspx?Id=114
The long awaited picture book by Aunty Vi McDermott is dedicated to long-time supporters and ex-broadcasters of Koori Radio Lloyd McDermott (Aunty Vi’s son) and Phillipa McDermott (her granddaughter). The book is a collection of six short stories written for children and illustrated with computer enhanced photographs and collage work.

Within the pages we learn about Aunty Vi growing up and her father going ‘sucker bashing’, which is not the flogging of an innocent bystander, but the hitting of new tree shoots with a brush hook as part of land clearing.

We get tips on how to cook porcupine and how to cure a toothache. A suspenseful story about young Lloyd and a green parrot might make you think a child throwing is a tantrum until you realise what the real story is.

A story about lost girl Mary and the involvement of a blacktracker named Jimmy is reminiscent of the film One Night The Moon and a Dreamtime story about Fanny the Brolga, Nater the Emu, Lily the Jabiru gives a moral about jealousy.

There are also language words peppered through the stories and a glossary at the end of the work.

Aunty Vi’s book fits well into the philosophy of Keeaira Press which is a small publishing house with a primary interest in recording aspects of Aboriginal history and culture. Many of their publications have a strong photographic content. Keeaira Press has been established since 1996 and their main customers are educational institutions, including libraries, schools and universities as well as community organisations and bookshops.

Go and ask your local library to order this book in, it will be a valuable addition to their shelves.

For details: http://www.kpress.com.au/
Keeaira Press P.O. Box 139 Southport QLD 4215 Australia
Phone: 07-55028853?
info@kpress.com.au… (mer)