Dreaming (Welcome to Our Country)

Dreaming (Welcome to Our Country) by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing. Illustrated by David Hardy.  Allen and Unwin 2025. PB RRP $24.99. ISBN 9781761065095

Reviewed by Debra Williams

Dreaming is a title in the bestselling and award-winning Welcome to Our Country series. It invites children to feel the vastness of the Dreaming and its central place in the spirituality and lives of First Nations people. Told through the voice of a child, Adam Goodes’ daughter Adelaide was the inspiration for this fifth and final book in the series. It’s a story that follows a young girl as she reflects on different ways to experience the Dreaming and she imagines what it might be like to be part of it, both past and present.

With beautiful illustrations (including the endpapers), it is a journey through the Muda, a word used to describe a never-ending cycle that links the past, present and future. The authors point out that the word dreaming means different things to different people and invite the reader to feel and appreciate the central importance to the culture and lives of the Aboriginal people.

Adam Goodes is an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man and community leader. He is also a former Australian Rules footballer. Ellie Laing is a communications executive and former journalist who was inspired to collaborate with Adam Goodes on a children's book series aiming to help families talk with their young children about Australia’s First Nations history. David Hardy is a Barkindji man, author and artist.

Dreaming is recommended for children aged 4-8 years.

Walk with Us

Walk with Us by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, illustrated by David Hardy (Allen & Unwin) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781761065071

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

One evening, young Harvey recites an Acknowledgement of Country and sings a song in a traditional language. His mother reflects on the fact that she did not learn these things at school and it gives her an idea for an outing. The next day, Harvey and his mother go for a walk to their favourite park, but this time they explore a new bush track on a group walk led by Uncle Boris. Along the way, Uncle Boris imparts a wealth of knowledge about the land they live on. They learn about awakening the ancestors, traditional language, flora and fauna, traditional uses for shrubs and trees, and land management practices.

Walk with Us is highly recommended for an audience aged 4 years and older. It encourages readers to slow down, enjoy nature and acknowledge the land on which they live. The book invites readers on a ‘journey of learning and appreciation’ and to respect Country for all that it provides.

The full colour illustrations will appeal to a young audience, as will the challenge of spotting the pelican and black cockatoo that appear on most pages. The end papers include 15 spot illustrations and vignettes with corresponding labels in both English and the traditional language of the Cammeraygal people.

Walk with Us is the fourth picture book in the Welcome to Our Country series. Other books in the series include: Somebody’s Land, Ceremony, and Back on Country. Walk with Us is inspired by the Uluru Statement from the Heart (a proposal for constitutional change and substantive recognition for First Nations peoples in Australian history). The title of this book is a further nod to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, as the phrase ‘walk with us’ appears in the final sentence of the document.

The Welcome to Our Country series should be an essential inclusion in every primary school library across Australia. The narratives are informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking and a perfect fit for the Australian Curriculum’s ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’ cross-curriculum priority.

Walk With Us: Welcome to Country

Walk With Us: Welcome to Country by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing illustrated by David Hardy (Allen & Unwin) PB HB RRP $24.99 9781761065071

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Inspired by the Uluru Statement from the heart, Walk with Us is an invitation to go on a journey of learning and appreciation. This is the fourth book in the bestselling Welcome to Our Country Series between Adnyamathanha and Narungga man Adam Goodes and communications executive Ellie Laing and Barkindji illustrator David Hardy. It aims to connect children, parents, and educators with First Nations history culture.

Adam Goodes is a former Australian Rules Footballer named Australian of the Year in 2014. With a diploma in Aboriginal studies and with his own young daughter becoming a preschooler, Adam became motivated to publish a series of books for children and families about Australia’s First Nations history. Ellie Laing collaborated with Adam and has completed studies in Traditional Aboriginal Cultures. David Laing has over eight years’ experience with Walt Disney Animation. He has illustrated quite a few published picture books.

Harvey comes home and shares his learning about acknowledging country and sings his favourite Aboriginal song. This gives mum an idea and they head to their favourite park on Cammeraygal land (Northern Beaches). There they join a walk with Uncle Boris who awakens the ancestors. As they walk and talk, they all share and experience Aboriginal culture.

The text uses language that reflects Aboriginal culture. The story is well written and told from Harvey’s perspective. It shows Harvey’s appreciation and willingness to share and learn about Aboriginal culture. At the park. the text shares the viewpoint of place through different eyes, that of Aboriginal elder Uncle Boris.

The language used introduces Aboriginal words and the way the land gifts to us all. The dialogue is a natural and helps the story flow easily and naturally. ‘We call it tologura,’ says Uncle Boris. ‘Our people use these leaves to heal cuts and scratches.’ The words deliver a lovely message of mutual respect. Uncle Boris smiles. ‘Don’t ever stop singing, young fella. The ancestors love it. The ending showcases that by sharing Aboriginal culture we can all learn and grow together.

David Hardy’s illustrations are bold and bright. The cover shows the setting and the story characters, the bold orange title attracts the eye. I particularly love the end papers because they share Australian animals, plants, and places with both Aboriginal and English names. The joy of Harvey as a character and his willingness to learn and share about Aboriginal culture is shown in his face and body movements. The bush at the park and the track is realistic and the characters softly shine as Uncle Boris shares. The page where the bush lights up is truly beautiful as the ancestors awaken and Harvey is bathed in a golden light. The illustrations really awaken the senses of a reader. Aboriginal History is shown positively when the First Fleet sailed through the Heads.