Walk With Us is inspired by the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and invites readers to find out more about the First Nations Country where they live.
Harvey and Mum are heading to their favourite park for a walk on Cammeraygal land.
‘Time to awaken the ancestors,’ says Uncle Boris. ‘Every time we sing or acknowledge Country, the ancestors are listening.’
What do you know about the Country where you live?
Walk With Us is an invitation to go on a journey of learning and appreciation – with family, with friends, and with our nation – together.
BR Kids readers love the Welcome to Our Country series, which aims to connect young children, parents and educators with First Nations history and culture. Walk With Us is the fourth in the bestselling series, and it comes at a time when truly engaging with First Nations culture is more important than ever.
Walk With Us is the story of a non-Indigenous boy and his mum taking a walk with an Aboriginal Elder to better understand the Country on which they live. It extends an immensely generous invitation to non-Indigenous kids and parents across Australia to do the same. The title is drawn from the final line of the Uluru Statement from the Heart: here is an opportunity to honour these words, despite the heartbreaking outcome of Australia’s recent vote.
Each book in this moving, inspiring and informative series is a collaboration between Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, former journalist Ellie Laing, and celebrated illustrator David Hardy. Goodes is an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man and community leader, and one of Australia’s AFL legends. Both before and after his retirement from footy, he’s been an outspoken advocate in fighting against racism and inspiring a better future for Australian youth.
Laing, Goodes’ collaborator, was moved to get involved in Goodes’ series when her young son came home from school sharing First Nations culture. She wanted to help create a resource that would facilitate more meaningful conversations between non-First Nations parents and their kids about First Nations culture and history.
Hardy is a Barkindji man with years of experience working as an animator for Walt Disney Studios, and as an illustrator for iconic Australian children’s books. His lively illustrations are instantly recognisable, packed with colour, texture and expression. They bring a vibrant energy to the series that instantly engages kids. The natural setting of Walk With Us is a key aspect of the story, and Hardy’s illustrations mean that kids will be fully immersed in the flora and fauna that Harvey, Mum and their friends interact with on their journey.
This beautiful picture book also features Cammeraygal language, with assistance from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, making it an even more invaluable resource for Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids alike.
Equal parts educational and engaging, this generous, warm and moving picture book deserves a place in every bedtime reading rotation, and on every classroom bookshelf. We can’t recommend it enough for all children aged 4+, and their caregivers.
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