I imagine all of the fascinating little things that pop up in the bush, all of the things that my children get interested in when we walk in the bush, and then layer those in too. It’s important to have fun with it as well. Little ideas that are connected to, but not necessarily explicit in the text. I work with the manuscript then place visual cues for readers to discover and investigate. I think that children are really engaged when they have the opportunity to make discoveries for themselves and are left asking questions, interested in knowing more.Īs an illustrator I love adding those opportunities. As illustrator, how do you also help children enter into the book and become a part of it? Walking in Gagadju Country invites the reader into the book with the authors (who address the reader and have a storytelling role). And of course, I was emersed in the landscape, if I had a day where I just couldn’t envisage the forest I could go out into one of them and just soak them in. When I read the manuscript, I had these really exciting moments of recognising elements of the bush, animals, ecosystems and cycles from my childhood observations. Having grown up in the Northern Territory really helped me feel connected to the landscapes, the colours of the country and some of the stories that Ben and Di shared with me. My parents brought me to Katherine from Melbourne when I was two. How does living in the Northern Territory influence how you have illustrated this book? Thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords. The significance of your illustrations in Walking in Gagudju Country can’t be overstated. Spread from Walking in Gagadju Country Illustrated by Emma Long (Allen & Unwin)Ĭongratulations on being shortlisted for both the 2022 CBCA Eve Pownall award for information book as well as their award for new illustrators. These are real stories, places and creatures.Ĭhildren will know much about Gagudju Country after walking through it and being immersed in it as they explore this narrative nonfiction book. There is also an authenticity in the telling and illustrating. There is a sophisticated interplay between the natural, human, historical, oral traditions and more. The authors, Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, are guides and illustrator Emma Long enhances the book with imagination and rigour. Walking in Gagudju Country is an informed and warm invitation to walk into Gagadju (Kakadu). Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest Walking in Gagudju Country by Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long
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