JourneyOnline
Black Ink Press, 2009
RRP $17.00
Reviewed by John Ruhle.
Gundanoo’s Christmas is another great kid’s book written and illustrated by Indigenous people and supported by Black Ink Press publishers.
The ethos and goals of Black Ink Press are worth highlighting.
“Black Ink Press is a community-based Indigenous writing, illustrating and publishing project based in North Queensland.
It trains and mentors emerging writers and artists in order to create contemporary illustrated books especially for young readers.
Black Ink Press is a part of the CCDEU Ltd, an activity of the Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress.
Like the other books from Black Ink Press that we have read as a family, Gundanoo’s Christmas, tells a uniquely Australian story based around native animals.
I read the story with my four, seven and eight year old girls and it was really the youngest one who was most interested in the book.
As avid book readers I figured that they were as good a book critic as anybody for children’s books so I asked them their opinion.
Miss four said: “I liked the book. I like the kangaroo because it looks after the baby. I can tell that the book is painted by an Aboriginal person.”
Miss seven said: “I liked the story but it doesn’t really fit in with the Christmas title.”
Miss eight said: “Is that all? I think it finished a bit early. It is a good story though.”
Mum was involved this time and said: “I like the concept behind the book and the kids really enjoyed it.
Given the title I was expecting the book to have a more Christmas flavour than it did.”
So there you have it from the ones that matter.
Gundanoo’s Christmas is a good kid’s book and it is a part of a fantastic bigger concept.
