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mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating illustrated text, presented in portrait format with aboriginal-stylised paintings and patterns, Stradbroke Dreamtime is a book of two halves. Penned by Oodgeroo, a name given to her by the Nukukul tribe, the first half is autobiographical and sees the author (then known as Kath Walker) reflect on her time on the island under the guidance and tutelage of her aboriginal father who shows her the cultures and customs of their heritage. The second is a retelling of the myths that Oodgeroo has inherited.
I enjoyed both halves equally. Her childhood stories did much to highlight the oppression and devastation that colonialism brought with it but there are moments of humour and warmth here too. Stradbroke island itself is alive, in memory, with the flora and fauna of the land. The myths themselves were written well - you could hear them being told rather than read aloud which I felt was far more in the spirit of what all traditional tales should set out to achieve.
I'm not sure why it's considered a children's book save for the fact that these are memories of her childhood and although there is much here that a young reader will enjoy (all of it, in fact) it felt like its audience was rather nebulous.
I enjoyed both halves equally. Her childhood stories did much to highlight the oppression and devastation that colonialism brought with it but there are moments of humour and warmth here too. Stradbroke island itself is alive, in memory, with the flora and fauna of the land. The myths themselves were written well - you could hear them being told rather than read aloud which I felt was far more in the spirit of what all traditional tales should set out to achieve.
I'm not sure why it's considered a children's book save for the fact that these are memories of her childhood and although there is much here that a young reader will enjoy (all of it, in fact) it felt like its audience was rather nebulous.
xan_van_rooyen's review against another edition
5.0
Read at school. This is an absolutely gorgeous book that is as enthralling for the teacher as it is for the kids. The art is exquisite! Highly recommend this for school libraries or for anyone wanting to explore Aboriginal stories written and illustrated by Aborigines.
lmurray74's review against another edition
5.0
Oodgeroo was an Aboriginal rights activist, poet, veteran, environmentalist and educator. Her father was a Quandamooka man and her mother was of the Peewee clan. In 1964 she became the first published Aboriginal poet in Australia. I highly recommend My People is a compilation of her poetry. Bronwyn Bancroft is a Bundjalung woman and artist. This book was first published in 1972 and its first illustrated edition was in 1993. "Stradbroke Dreaming" contains stories of growing up on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) going crabbing and hunting and being left-handed in a school system that didn't allow it. There is a story about a carpet snake they had as a pet. Her mother didn't like the snake as it took eggs from the hens but it was her dad's totem, and her totem also, so they couldn't do anything to it. As well as stories of growing up there are 14 stories of the "Old and New Dreamtime". What is powerful in this is that we hear the stories of Oodgeroo as a girl, stories that are easy to relate to and that could be happening now. I find her stories more compelling than the "dreamtime" stories but having them in the same book gives us insight into Oodgeroo's storytelling in a couple of genres. The illustrations are vibrant and engaging. The edition I have has glossy pages all the way through and it's a delight to browse through.
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