Azaria: a true history

by Maree Coote

What happens when the truth gets lost? Where wild animals and people meet, tragedy can strike, But when a tiny baby is stolen by a dingo, people simply cannot accept such a thing. Prejudice and gossip grip the nation, and the tragedy transforms into a fight for the truth. How did it all go so wrong?
This is a true Australian story of innocence, ignorance, and the perils of 'mob thinking'.

A beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book that sensitively explores the collision of wilderness and civilisation, explains a famous miscarriage of justice, and examines the role of the media in history-telling, in an appropriate manner for young readers.

“An important story for children about one of Australia’s most dramatic miscarriages of justice.” —The Hon. Justice Lex Lasry, AM

“A modern day fairy tale, cautionary and unforgettable. Essential reading for students of history and the law, young and old.”


The book forms an excellent cross-curricular resource, ideal for class discussion and activity.
Teachers’ Notes & Resources, with further extensive resource material available online.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Australia, Death, Grief, Childrens, History

44 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2020

About the author

- Designer, writer, publisher & founder of retail concept store & gallery Melbournestyle (CURRENT),
including corporate image; brand design and development, product design and development, and online at www.melbournestyle.com.au

-Creative Director of MCA Advertising p/l (CURRENT),
projects include corporate image; brand design and development, advertising - all media.
website at: http://www.melbournestyle.com.au/Mare...

- Publisher of Melbournestyle Books, a collection of titles about Melbourne history and contemporary culture, and also children's titles and graphic design books, including:
- 'Letters From Melbourne'​ picture book for children, 2014
- 'Alphabet City Zoo'​ picture book for children, 2014
-'The Melbourne Book - A History of Now'​, (History, contemporary culture) Editions 1, 2 3 and 4 (2003; 2008, 2010, 2013)
WINNER: New York Independent Publisher - Gold Award 2015
- 'Alphabet City Melbourne'​ Published Oct. 2013
- Creator of 'The Alphabet City Project'​ website at www.alphabet-city.com.au
-'When You Go To Melbourne'​ picture book for children launched Feb 2013 together with a companion exhibition of illustrations.
- 'The Art of Being Melbourne'​ (2012) ( Art History)
WINNER: Royal Historical Society of Victoria Award Overall Winner 2012
WINNER: New York Independent Publisher - Gold Award 2014
-'50 Neds: Ned Kelly, Icon of Australian Art'​, graphic design/history
-'The Black Pot Belly'​, picture book for children
-'The Gum Queen'​, picture book for children
-'The Seacret of Driftus and Sprout', picture book for children

Specialties: Bringing great ideas to life in whatever form gives them the most power.....campaigns, books, products, events, lyrics, film...

Reviews

[Clare Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Striking, almost surreal, illustration depicts the sad death of Azaria Chamberlain and the trial by media and wrongful imprisonment of her mother.

The night sky tops many double page spreads and Azaria becomes a constellation in death. Azaria and later her lost clothing, is in monochrome lines, almost disappearing among the bold colours surrounding her. Flowers follow her across the pages where she is present and the end papers show the flowers, firstly in sombre colours and at the end with added bright colour, in her loving memory.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

As it is CBCA book week and I was catching up on a few children's book winners I was glad this one was given to me to read. The Children's Book Council of Australia has nominated some great books over the years and this one was a true winner!

Due to no fault of their own, the poor Chamberlains have become, in a odd sort of way, an iconic part of modern Australian culture/mythology. The tragedy that struck the family when Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was taken by a dingo at Ayers rock during a family holiday inflated into a truly disgusting media circus, the 'a dingo took my baby' style humour. And traumatic criminal proceedings against an innocent woman. For anyone who lived through the times it will remain unforgettable. For new Australians or for young ones - how to tell the story in a way for them to understand it?

That question is answered with honesty, sympathy and kindness by this book by Maree Coote. Within the covers a vivid artwork takes us through the journey of the Chamberlain story. The artwork is especially evocative with regard to the outback and it's inhabitants and I think certain elements of the story are demonstrated more vividly in these images than they could be with a thousand words. The image of the family searching for the baby in the pitch black - that conveyed remarkably well how big the blackness of the outback feels when you are all alone in it, with only a tiny circle of torchlight, with limited battery time, between you and total darkness.

The narrative manages to be forgiving yet rational when it comes to the media, the legal system and the manner in which Lindy Chamberlain suffered from criminal proceedings. I am awed, I am sure I would never be able to tell that story in a non judgmental way, but non-judgmental is certainly a better way to tell this to children, and the final messages are very valid and very balanced.


The artwork.... again, the way Uluru is portrayed, and dingoes, and the vivid colours that were used... excellent book!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book.

As an adult I think it’s a beautifully executed historical story presented as a picture book.

But... who is this book for?
I would feel uncomfortable with this book sitting on an open shelf, waiting for any young reader. This is a book that needs to come out to the right reader, at the right time.

This story breaks my heart and is still within memory for many adults.

An important story for our next generation.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is confronting, and beautiful, and leaves me feeling a little eery, but a stunner of a book.
I don't know what age little person I'd pitch it to, but if a little person was asking questions about the case, this is certainly going to trigger conversations, and move adults to think and feel. 💜

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you tell a story to generations of young readers who were not alive during that time? A story that gripped and divided a Nation. A story that was so eventful it is seared into the memory of those who were old enough at the time to follow it. This book has been able to.

[Chantelle Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book telling a timeless story. Easy to read and wonderfully conveyed.

[Kat Schrav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations in this book. A re-telling of the story of Azaria Chamberlain highlighting indigenous perspective and culture. More suitable for middle to upper primary.

[Miffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you tell the story of a great injustice in a way that is both dispassionate and absolutely on point about how a media and a country turned against a family in grief? Exactly like this. Maree Coote has gathered all the threads of a miscarriage of justice into a clear, concise and readable picture book for all ages. CBCA Eve Pownall (Information) shortlist 2021.

[Victoria Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful retelling of a story about loss and injustice that gripped a nation.

The words "a dingo stole my baby" will forever be ingrained in all Australians. The death of Azaria Chamberlain and the wrongful prosecution of her mother Lindy was a story that every Australian watched and followed. Here, Maree Coote tells the story to a new generation of Australians.

This August marks 40 years since Azaria was taken by a dingo, and while I obviously wasn't alive at the time, I did grow up learning about the story and the absolute media storm that swirled around the tragedy. While I've not read extensively on the case, I have seen the TV mini-series and other pieces that have been released in the past twenty years. So going into this book, I didn't know what to expect in terms of how Maree would tell this story, especially to a younger audience.

Maree's artwork is stunning and fit the story perfectly - there's so much detail and yet it's very simple at the same time. As a 24-year-old, it's obviously been a while since I've read an illustrated children's book, but I thoroughly enjoyed taking my time to absorb every little detail as I read the story. The story itself was told so well and beautifully, touching on all aspects that made the case such a gripping story that made headlines daily.

No matter how old you are, this is a book that ALL Australians need to read and have on their bookshelf. And when the time is right, it's a book that needs to be shared with the next generation, so they can learn about how this tragedy and injustice changed Australia.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maree Coote's picture books are sublime works of art; dramatic, visually arresting, evocative. Published by Melbourne Style Books, they are expressions of history, culture, art and design. Perfect conduits for conveying accounts and incidents in non fictional settings in ways young children can enthuse over and understand.

When a tiny new born baby disappeared one fateful evening some 40 years ago, an entire nation was instantly polarised. Questions clotted in every lounge room, staff room and playground, quickly congealing into unsubstantiated opinions. Like many, I remember the exact moment I first heard the awful news report on the family television. It's a recollection indelibly inscribed on my memory. And yes, even in our humble household, assumptions were immediately made. You either believed a mother murdered her baby or a dingo committed a crime against nature.

Four decades on, several court hearings and a life time of attrition later, this simple picture book provides a clear, sensitive exploration of one of Australia's most infamous court cases and miscarriages of justice.

Coote's painfully beautiful illustrations dance between dark and light, illuminating the vast majesticness of the Australian Outback, its golds and ochres, blues and silvers all framed by an ocean of shimmering starlight that symbolically pays tribute to the Traditional Owners of the lands of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, the Anangu peoples.

The ubiquitous presence of the Australian Bogong moth provides a telling connectivity between Indigenous myth and reality, human civilisation and the wilderness and guides the reader from one scene to the other.

Lindy Chamberlain, Azaria's mother, and her family members are characterised in black and white cartoonesque fashion yet are remarkably recognisable probably thanks to the intense media coverage at the time subliminally branding their images into our psyches. Lindy's horror story began as 'family fun and adventure'. Snap shot vignettes (a happy throwback to a time before smart phone photography) depict the scenery around the family's red centre camping ground, their various explorations, a meal of beans on toast and outlined in the delicate pinks and whites of her lacy matinee jacket, eight week old, Azaria. It's a scene out of any Aussie holiday adventure but ...'like most adventures, no one ever knows for sure how things will end.' How true.

Words and pictures unite as Moote introduces young readers to the natural world and all its brutal reality in a series of life and death encounters; a gonna eats a moth for its supper, an eagle took a joey for its dinner... a dingo took a baby. There is nothing gruesome about these portrayals rather every stroke of colour describes the law of nature, of animals simply being who they are, ensuring the survival of their families. It is the way the world works. It is both marvellous and tragic.

The narration progresses with a blow by blow chronicle of the moments leading up to Azaria's abduction from the family tent, the futile search for her in the darkness and the subsequent crushing weight of hopelessness. Azaria's description becomes that of 'the baby' for heart wrenchingly, she is no more. She can't be found. Using the bland pro nouns of baby and mother force the reader to assume a more objective stance as prejudice and condemnation mount against Lindy Chamberlain ending in a life in prison conviction. Throughout it all, the mother maintained her innocence symbolically shown in this story as a broken red heart against her blackened chest.

Turmoil and depression ensue. The mother's world darkens into a gruesome fairy tale type tragedy through which floats the image of the baby, swaddled in pure white like a helpless little grub caught in the dark morose of misjudgment.

When it is finally revealed decades later that the mother was telling the truth all along, baby and dingo reunite in a strangely comforting juxtaposition of calm white light. Forgiveness.

Coote is extremely conscience of presenting every side of this story, careful to point out that animals behave as animals do, just as people do. Mob mentality, media misrepresentation and sometimes, people just getting things wrong can add up to monstrous miscalculations of judgment. They still do. Which is why this cautionary tale is a crucial reminder to us all to 'look beyond the surface' and search for things that 'are not always as they seem'. Just like Uluru. Just like the story of Azaria.

Even if you think you know the story of Azaria Chamberlain and even if you can't quite dislodge that first assumption, this is a achingly beautiful, thoughtfully rendered, significant work of art that is an excellent cross-curricular resource addressing an infinite number of nuances for discussion with children from as young as five. Highly recommended.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 is the 40th anniversary of the death of Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru in central Australia. This is a timely and confronting recount of the criminal injustices that flourished during the events, throughout the trial and long past that time as the mother, Lindy Chamberlain and her husband, were subjected to prejudice and gossip generated through false and biased reporting at the time. An excellent book to bring into any classroom discussion on fake news - to show that you don't need the internet to destroy a person's life and to explore ethical issues, media bias, and the power of the public voice to pervert justice. there is also a subtext on disregarding the local experts - the park ranger, the local indigenous inhabitants, and the nature of dingoes themselves so that white 'justice' prevails.

Most adult readers will know of, or have at least heard of, the death of Azaria and most would be at first startled, and maybe confronted on this story being recounted in a picture book format. From the taking of Azaria by a dingo in the camping ground to the mistakes by the police, the media frenzy and the emotionally loaded and infamous court case tth was viewed around Australia.

Maree Coote's illustrations are just as compelling and damning as her deftly handled prose that tells this tragic tale in a minimalist fashion with carefully placed text for emphasis and to lead the reader on. From the challenging image of baby Azaria in the shape of Uluru on the front cover to the black (oh so very black) pages that backdrop the shimmering ochres and rich colours, the use of white, and light, and silhouette, to spotlight and focus on features. A mix of spread including comic book sequences (is that a TV screen captured there?), part, full and double page spreads, each turn of the page presents a new perspective. This illustrated news reports make compelling and outrageous reading and every page counts in this book.

Shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books - this book is indisputably the winner - I certainly hope it is.

[Read Me Another Story]

I purchased this picture book from @booktopiabooks after being intrigued by the subject when I saw it online.

Story 📖

This picture book outlines the injustice that happened to Lindy Chamberlain in the aftermath of the death of her newborn daughter Azaria.

The story is familiar to almost everyone. The Chamberlain family were visiting Uluru as a family and were camping close by. As she was cooking dinner one evening, she had placed her newborn Azaria to sleep in the tent only to very shortly afterwards realise that a dingo had taken her baby.

In the aftermath, there was great speculation about the story and Lindy was eventually charged with the death of her baby and spent time in prison.

32 years after the fact, the courts of Australia admitted that this was a miscarriage of justice and that indeed the dingo had taken her baby.

Summary 📖

I thought this was such an interesting premise for a picture book. I liked the sensitive way the author described such a horrific event but the focus of the book was on the injustice that has occurred to Lindy by the people of Australia.

Suggestion 📖

This book would be more suitable to older young readers aged 7-10 years but I liked the way the author made the message clear that not all speculation is right. This is an important skill for children to learn: the ability to think for the themselves.

The illustrations in this book were so beautiful and captured the sad reality of this story.
📖

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author and Illustrator: Maree Coote
Age Recommendation: Tween - High School
Art Style: Slightly Abstract.
Topic/ Theme: The Death of Azaria Chamberlin
Setting: Central Australia

Azaria is a clever and complex book, at least that is the way I read it. Writing a book like this, in this format on the Chamberlin case is bold. Initially, I found it quite offputting, it was only after reflection I saw the intelligence. My initial reaction was that it was perhaps this was the wrong style to use to tell Lindy Chamerberlin's story. The art is too something. The book is written on the premise that Lindy Chamberlin did nothing to Azaria, that the dingo acted purely on predatory instinct. But there are still questions there will always be questions. This is one of Australia's biggest stories, biggest talking points (for Americans think Jean Benat Ramsey).  These questions and a conversation with my mother (also a librarian) prompted a thought. The art is telling its own story, a different story.

Okay so the story of the art is perhaps indicating Lindy's suspicion. Lindy Chamberlin and her family (with the exception of baby Azaria) are nearly always shown with their faces in partial shade and dressed in black. The public and various professionals are not shown in that same shaded style. It's a deliberate artistic choice on Coote's behalf. The deadly dingo is while looking rightfully menacing is coloured in and shaded in a natural and neutral palette. No one questions that the dingo (evidence has been found of one) was acting on natural instinct, the style reflects that. In stark contrast baby Azaria is only shown two ways. Primarily in a bright and almost angelic white in a coat with detailing reminiscent of wings. Secondly, she is shown as a part of the desert with cloth-like material drawing her to the ground, like her soul now belongs there. Both are startling imagery befitting her undeniable status as an innocent victim. This is all purely my interpretation of the symbolism and is of course coloured by my own opinions and prejudices.

The rest of the art is just gorgeous. With big sky to introduce scale, the black night which is necessary, the stars forming constellations possibly a story of their own and colour changes in them. The animals don't look natural but are easily recognisable. The torchlight and lamplight fade in a way that is pleasing. The photos were a nice touch I didn't look too hard into that page. I did find the white borders on some pages to be a bit of an odd choice. I can easily how Azaria got its nomination for an Eve Pownell award. It might have a decent shot at winning too. Despite reading quite a bit of Coote it is only because of these awards I know about Azaria. Purely for the thought-provoking nature of the book, I give it 5 stars.

[idreamofallthebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides knowing the line, ‘the dingo stole my baby,’ I had absolutely no idea about the ramifications of this particularly dark moment in Australian media and society.

Coote presents the truth of the matter by exploring all elements of the case. The simplicity of her words allows her to create a narrative that highlights the facts without laying blame.

There were a number of key ideas that Coote brings to light within her words and illustrations – injustice, media manipulation and prejudice. Through her drawings and use of colour, she was able to convey to the reader the many facets of this case, which ultimately showed the mistakes made at the expense of the mother. The double page spread right at the end of the story was particularly emotional for me – it showed us the humans are fallible, and if we are to learn from our mistakes, it is important to look a little closer before throwing stones.

This was such a moving non-fiction picture book – this will definitely have pride of place on my classroom bookshelf!

Thank you @walkerbooksaus for gifting me a copy to read and review!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stands out in many ways, and deserves to be recognised by the CBCA.
This book is brave - who would've thought this story would be suitable for a picture book?
beautiful - bold imagery and colour palette, and layer upon layer of rich meaning
respectful - the story is sensitively and poignantly told. I like that Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton was involved in its making; and also I like that the contributions of the Anangu to the case has been given due respect / vindication (their knowledge/testimony supported Lindy's version of events but were downplayed by the courts in the original investigations)

This story is very thought-provoking and would be a great one to use in a classroom setting, for older children and even teens. This retelling highlighted the media frenzy surrounding the case - which likely contributed to the subsequent miscarriage of justice - just imagine how this case could have turned out in our current, social-media-dominated environment.

[Natasha Allday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful. Stunning illustrations, poetic prose, this moving and thought provoking picture book is appropriate for adults as well as young children. It shines a light on a dark miscarriage of justice.

Religious prejudice, dismissal of Indigenous knowledge, police corruption and ignorance, trial by media - it’s all there for discussion and reflection. There is a compassionate retelling of the prejudices at play without diminishing the suffering caused by the wrongful conviction of Lindy Chamberlain.

I read this to assess it as a teaching tool for media literacy in primary schools, which it would be superb for, but I also enjoyed it from an adult perspective. I definitely shed at tear at several places in the book, it really ticks every box. Highly recommend.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written with a lot of wonderful imagery. This is not a book for little children, although it might be suitable for Year 3 and up. I would also use it with older children, especially in the classroom, as it narrates an Important story of mistrial by media. It tells the story of the Chamberlain family without blame. Even the dingo is described as a wild animal doing what wild animals do. I am unsure if the writer is an Indigenous Australian but the telling of the story and the illustrations point that way.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful book about a heart-breaking event in Australian history. It aims to simply tell the story, explaining how mistakes were made and people were carried away by gossip. It puts the dingo within its place in nature, and indicates that a lot of the misunderstandings may have stemmed from our misconceptions that they are just like dogs. The illustration style is bold, beautiful and at times jarring. I am not sure what age students I would read this to, but it is an important work.

[LouisaOz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated children’s book telling the true story of the heartbreaking tragedy enshrined in Australia’s history, the taking of baby Azaria Chamberlain by a dingo, with her parents fighting for justice through the legal system. Nice to see a children’s book covering the story in such a sensitive and accurate way.

[Sharlene Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great supporting text for a unit on media bias and the damage it can cause. Also a great support to exploring the extent to which Australian Aboriginal people were embarrassingly disrespected in the past and the damage misguided gossip can do to others.

[Helen.Styan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing book.
The illustrations are incredible, the story is beautifully and fairly written in a simple way that portrays the truth of the times.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not recommended for Primary Schools, this is more for the Secondary school student who with the guidance of a good teacher can explore this text alongside other supporting materials.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful and sad.

[Denise Tannock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very well-written about a sad story in Australian history. The illustrations are amazing!

[Bek Musicå · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated.

[Monica]

Not as controversial or as provocative as the review suggested
Dingo responsible for death; Lindy hounded and wrongly accused etc

[Rio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book.
One of the best books.
Amazing

[Hayley Maliszewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for stage 3 english

[Malak · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty sad loved the message at the end "even the truth can seem to be lost sometimes... But, as we all know now, it's just waiting to be found."

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional book, written gently and sensitively and with the most unique and dazzling illustrations. It is a precious beauty of a book so sensitively told - about the terrible, true death of a baby, with her mother falsely accused and imprisoned.
The cruelty and power of fake news - and the deliberate overlooking of Indigenous trackers supporting the mother's claim of a dingo taking the baby - makes one shudder.

This beautiful book is also featured on the website of the National Centre for Australian Children's Literature
https://www.ncacl.org.au/atsi-resource/

https://www.ncacl.org.au/atsi_resourc...