Respect by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, illus. Lisa Kennedy

Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925936315
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Across pages of disarming illustrations, full of colour and movement, redolent of the reds and browns of outback Australia as well as the bright blues of coastal environments, the theme of respect is drawn in tightly written authoritative prose. Fay Muir, a Boonwurrung Elder of the Port Phillip Bay area of Victoria, has worked with celebrated author, Sue Lawson, to create a story that is older than the red earth and older than the flickering stars.
Respect is held for stories, for the Elders, for Ancestors, for songs. It is held for the sea eagle, for the leaves on the trees falling to the red earth, for families who pass on their stories, for those who listen, learning from the Elders. Through learning to love and respect Country, we learn to love and respect each other as well as ourselves.
Respect is at the heart of any Aboriginal community and reaffirming respect will reinforce its application to all Australians who care about the natural environment and the people who live there.
Lisa Kennedy a descendant of the Trawlwoolway people of north east Tasmania, has used acrylic paint and collage to create her vibrant illustrations which bring together art, culture and story to promote respect: a quality that underpins Aboriginal sensibilities.
Themes: Respect, Aboriginal themes, Generations
Fran Knight