Waltzing Matilda: Australian Classics for Little Ones

Waltzing Matilda: Australian Classics for Little Ones by Banjo Paterson, edited by Kathryn England, illustrated by Cate James (Penguin Random House) HB RRP $14.99 ISBN: 9781761355103

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

A swagman camps by a billabong and steals a sheep that is drinking the water. When police arrive, the swagman jumps into the billabong and swims away. Kathryn England has edited Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda for young readers, creating a gentle introduction to this Australian classic.

In addition to Banjo Paterson’s dynamic words, each eye-catching spread of the board book features a colour and a number from one to ten – ‘1 ONE green parrot feather’, ‘2 TWO grey koalas’ and so on. As youngsters aged three to five look for the named things in the accompanying illustration, they are mastering their colours and numbers in an enjoyable way.

The bright and appealing illustrations by Cate James bring the swagman’s story to life, and cleverly incorporate the colour and number lessons. Small eyes will adore searching the images for four yellow waterlilies, eight white clouds, ten orange yabbies and more, and seeing the expression on the fluffy jumbuck’s face as it is captured and eventually released.

A cute twist on a traditional counting book, Waltzing Matilda: Australian Classics for Little Ones deserves a place on every Australian child’s bookshelf. Literature and learning combine to create an illuminating sing-along experience with every turn of the page.

Christina’s Matilda

Christina’s Matilda by Edel Wignell, illustrated by Elizabeth Botté (IP Kidz)

HB $26.00, eBook $13,00

ISBN 9781921479878

Reviewed by Margaret Warner

Who was Christina Macpherson and what was her connection to the famous ‘Waltzing Matilda’?

The front endpaper reveals to the reader the historical nature of the story. The paper resembles an old, faded book and the maps orient the reader to places that are significant. As you turn the pages of this beautifully presented book, the story of Christina Macpherson’s life slowly unfolds. The illustrations are beautifully detailed combining paintings and drawings, maps, photos, posters and programs, letters and sheet music.

In 1895 while Banjo Paterson was visiting Christina’s brother, Christina played a marching tune that she had heard the previous year and Banjo Paterson composed words to go with the tune. Significantly, the song was neither copyrighted nor published at that time. However, when the song was published several years later to promote Billy Tea, a few words were changed and the musical arrangement was credited to Marie Cowan. She did not claim to have arranged the tune, but at that time Christina’s contribution was not known. It took many years before the historian and bush balladist, Richard Magoffin discovered Christina’s contribution to this famous Australian song.

Reading the story of Christina’s Matilda is like looking through an old scrapbook, faded with time with sepia coloured pages with beautiful borders; pages that are filled with personal memorabilia that tell a fascinating story and shed light on the origins of ‘Waltzing Matilda’.