Meet Wylah: warrior, hero and friend. Her adventures have been 40,000 years in the making! Wylah is brave, clever and strong-willed, and all her best friends are giant megafauna animals. But she isn’t a warrior. Not yet, anyway.
Then comes the day when her family is stolen by the dragon army, and her life is forever changed. She must find the courage to set out on a journey to save them. What will it take for Wylah to become a warrior, like her Grandmother before her?
Earlier this year, we gave readers a sneak peek of Wylah The Koorie Warrior. It’s a heart-stopping and imaginative adventure, inspired by First Nations history and grounded in culture.
The first book in the Wylah the Koorie Warrior series, Guardians is an important new middle-grade read by Peek Whurrong man from Warrnambool Jordan Gould, and illustrator Richard Pritchard, an Indigenous Pacific Islander of Samoan heritage. It’s set 40,000 years ago in Marr country, a beautiful part of south-western Victoria that includes Warrnambool.
It’s so inspiring and informative to read a story that is filled with Peek Whurrong language, complete with handy definitions on each page and a glossary at the end. There is so much to learn about ancient Indigenous practices in this book, from ways of preparing food to making art, spiritual beliefs and stories. Wylah is a smart and family-oriented young girl who loves to look after animals and teach the younger kids how to paint. When her family is stolen and her home is destroyed, she reluctantly must become a warrior. The pace and excitement really pick up as Wylah and her friends travel to find the Guardians.
Pritchard’s illustrations are evocative and detailed. You can really see and feel the emotions shown on Wylah’s face. It’s exciting to see a middle-grade adventure for ages 8+ that puts First Nations storytelling and culture front and centre. This book is bound to be loved in both classrooms and homes. I can’t wait to see what happens in book #2, coming soon.
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