
The story is told from a young boy's perspective, in an
engaging way that students can readily identify with. It captures the fun and
freedom of being a child in that era as he watches timber cutters work with
axes and enjoy the freedom of farm life -riding horses, milking cows and
sleeping on the veranda under mosquito nets.
It is excellent for promoting further discussion on
differences and continuities with students’ lives today—the family home, how
they play and work, and what community they live in. Issues are sensitively
portrayed in the text such as the impact of the white settlement on the local
indigenous community, and the impact of drought and depression on farming families.
The sensitive and quite humorous illustrations capture the different characters
and the Australian landscape superbly.
This would be an effective teaching tool when studying Australian
history to engage students and help them understand heritage and colonisation
of local aboriginal groups. This book would be suitable for the primary years
however older students could analyse the illustrations and text further to gain
a better understanding of this era.
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