Indigenous Children (2014-)
or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authored Children’s Book Award
Subcategory of Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards
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Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2024

winner y separately published work icon Our Flag, Our Story : The Torres Strait Islander Flag Bernard Namok , Thomas Mayo , Tori-Jay Mordey (illustrator), Broome : Magabala Books , 2024 27651322 2024 single work picture book children's

'‘We are many different people in Australia, and we all live in one big country. What may seem like a simple flag to some people, has given all Torres Strait Islanders an identity and a sense of pride...’

'Bernard Namok Jnr was just a little boy when his dad designed the Torres Strait Islander Flag, a symbol of unity, shared identity and pride for all Torres Strait Islanders. This is the story of a flag and what it represents.

'Alongside Mordey’s stunning digital illustrations reflecting the vibrant colours of the Torres Strait, Namok Jnr and Mayo present an engaging, personal story that invites young readers to learn about the Torres Strait Islander peoples, place and culture. Our Flag, Our Story shares an essential piece of Australian and Torres Strait Islander history, accessible for all ages.' (Publication summary)

Year: 2023

winner y separately published work icon Ceremony Adam Goodes , Ellie Laing , David Hardy (illustrator), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2022 23797062 2022 single work picture book children's

'A joyful celebration of family and culture, the Welcome to Our Country series introduces First Nations history to children. From Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, co-writer Ellie Laing, and Barkindji illustrator David Hardy.

'Welcome, children! Nangga! Nangga! Yakarti! Tonight will be our Ceremony.

'Our family gathers as the fire burns. The smoke rises up as we take it in turns . . . Then clapsticks tap - one, two, three - but a stick is missing! Where could it be?

'Joyful and full of fun, Ceremony invites you to celebrate the rich traditions of dance, family, community and caring for Country from the world's oldest continuous culture.' (Publication summary)

Year: 2022

winner y separately published work icon Somebody's Land : Welcome to Our Country Adam Goodes , Ellie Laing , David Hardy (illustrator), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2021 22585006 2021 single work picture book children's

'An accessible picture book for young children that introduces First Nations history and the term 'terra nullius' to a general audience, from Australian of the Year, community leader and anti-racism advocate Adam Goodes and political adviser and former journalist Ellie Laing, with artwork by Barkindji illustrator David Hardy.

'For thousands and thousands of years,
Aboriginal people lived in the land we call Australia.

The land was where people
built their homes,
played in the sun,
and sat together to tell stories.

When the white people came,
they called the land
Terra Nullius.
They said it was nobody's land.
But it was somebody's land.

'Somebody's Land is an invitation to connect with First Nations culture, to acknowledge the hurt of the past, and to join together as one community with a precious shared history as old as time.

'Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing's powerful words and David Hardy's pictures, full of life, invite children and their families to imagine themselves into Australia's past - to feel the richness of our First Nations' history, to acknowledge that our country was never terra nullius, and to understand what 'welcome to our country' really means.'(Publication summary)

Year: 2021

winner y separately published work icon Is This Your Egg? Elthies Kris , Emma Cracknell (illustrator), Brisbane : State Library of Queensland , 2020 20937943 2020 single work picture book children's

'Henry the Hermit crab is on a mission. He has found a small egg and must travel through the mudflats, the hot sand and the tall grass to find it a home. Where will it belong when it hatches?' (Publication summary)

Year: 2020

winner y separately published work icon My Culture and Me Gregg Dreise , Gregg Dreise (illustrator), Melbourne : Puffin , 2019 15637808 2019 single work picture book children's

'Feel the rhythm of the music, from your heart down to your feet.
Enjoy the movements of melodies, as clapsticks keep a strong beat.

'This is my culture. This is me.

'Beautifully written and illustrated, My Culture and Me is a heartfelt and stirring story of cherishing and sustaining Indigenous cultures.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

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