Welcome to Country: A Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony

An Aboriginal ceremony of Welcome to Country is depicted for the first time in a stunning picture book from two Indigenous Australians.

Welcome to the lands of the Wurundjeri people. The people are part of the land, and the land is a part of them. Aboriginal communities across Australia have boundaries that are defined by mountain ranges and waterways. Traditionally, to cross these boundaries, permission is required. Each community has its own way of greeting, but the practice shares a common name: a Welcome to Country. Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, the senior Aboriginal elder of the Wurundjeri people, channels her passion for storytelling into a remarkable and utterly unique picture book that invites readers to discover some of the history and traditions of her people. Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy gives the Wurundjeri Welcome to Country form in beautiful paintings rich with blues and browns, as full of wonder and history as the tradition they depict.

Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 01/02/2018
Pages: 32
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 9.80h x 11.60w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780763694999
Age: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Shelf Awareness 01/19/2018
Booklist 02/15/2018 pg. 70
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2019 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Joy Murphy Wandin is a storyteller and writer who is passionate about using stories to bring people together and as a conduit for understanding aboriginal culture. She is an Officer of the Order of Australia. Welcome to Country is her first book. Aunty Joy lives in Victoria, Australia.

Lisa Kennedy is a descendant of the Trawlwoolway people on the coast of Tasmania. Her work is marked by her experiences of both cultural and natural loss and reclamation. She lives in Victoria, Australia.