Gadi Mirrabooka: Australian Aboriginal Tales from the Dreaming

by Pauline E. McLeod, Francis Firebrace Jones, June E. Barker

Take a journey into the fascinating world of Australia's Aboriginal culture with this unique collection of 33 authentic, unaltered stories brought to you by three Aboriginal storyteller custodians! Unlike other compilations of tales that were modified and published without permission from the Aboriginal people, these stories are now presented with approval from Aboriginal elders in an effort to help foster a better understanding of the history and culture of the Aboriginal people. Gadi Mirrabooka, which means below the Southern Cross, introduces wonderful tales from the Dreamtime, the mystical period of Aboriginal beginning. Through these stories you can learn about customs and values, animal psychology, hunting and gathering skills, cultural norms, moral behavior, the spiritual belief system, survival skills, and food resources. A distinctive and absolutely compelling story collection, this book is an immensely valuable treasure for educators, parents, children, and adult readers. Grades K-A

Genres: Australia, Folk Tales, Nonfiction

135 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2001

Reviews

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skipped Part 1, Australia and the Aboriginal People, so I am unable to review that section of the book. I enjoyed Part 2, The Tales though -- I chose the book because I wanted to read Dreamtime stories, and it delivered.

The stories are creative, yet logical, and I learnt a lot about the Dreaming and how Australia's landscapes, animals and plants came to be. I was disappointed that only one of the 33 stories was from Western Australia (about half are from New South Wales); it would have been nice to read a wider variety of stories, and more that related to the geography, flora and fauna outside the East Coast.

[JL Salty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: pg for some nude aboriginal illustrations no profanity no violence
Recommend: a little Australian history / culture, a lot of aboriginal stories from the “dreaming”

Interesting but may not meet the need we are looking for.

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of background information on Australian Aborigines, stories and pictures.

[OWS Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference work for storytellers as there are ample source notes and contextual information, and permission was obtained from the original tellers for others to reuse their work.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful tales to be shared with the young ones about me as they grow