Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country

Winner, 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country is a fascinating, illustrated science book that takes kids inside the life of termites through storytelling from the Gurindji People.
 
Did you know there are four types of termite poo? Or that a warm paste made from termite mound is used to strengthen a Gurindji baby’s body and spirit? Or that spinifex (which termites eat) is one of the strongest plants in the world?
 
Created as a collaboration between over 30 First Nations and non-Indigenous contributors, the story and artworks explore how termites and their mounds connect different parts of Country, from tiny Gurindji babies and their loving grandmothers, to spiky spinifex plants growing in the hot sun.
 
Written in traditional Gurindji, Gurindji Kriol and English (with a QR code to an audio version spoken in language), Tamarra is a truly original story with beautiful artwork that takes readers on an educational and cultural journey through Gurindji Country.
 
Suitable for children aged 7 to 12 years.

About the author:

Violet Wadrill was born in 1942 and is a traditional owner of Jutamaliny. She has worked extensively with linguists on the documentation of Gurindji language and culture, including a dictionary, ethnobiology and a number of volumes of collected texts including Yijarni: True Stories from Gurindji Country (2016). She also paints her traditional country, Jutamaliny, and makes tradition- al artefacts such as coolamons and nulla nullas. Her work demonstrates a passion for the maintenance of Gurindji traditions. Violet was a finalist in the ICTV Australian Digital Storytelling Awards 2018 and VIP guest speaker at the NT Writers Festival in 2019.

Product details:

Author: Violet Wadrill

Publisher: Hardie Grant 

Dimensions: 265 x 265 x 15 mm

Pages: 80

Format: Hardback

Publication date: 5 July 2023

ISBN: 9781741178302