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An exquisite little book that embarks on a wonderful journey through color for young story lovers!
Dressing for Dreamtime tells the story of two young lizard friends in the Outback of Australia. They want to wear their best for the annual Dreamtime Celebration where all the animals come together to celebrate the sky above and the red earth below. They have the brilliant idea of enhancing their own natural markings for ones they believe will be extra special. It all turns a bit sour.
They will learn that accepting themselves as they are is a very important lesson rather than pretend they need to be different.
A glossary at the back of the book provides tidbits of information, for young readers, about the flora and fauna mentioned within the story.
What an exquisite little book! A wonderful journey through color for young story lovers!
Dreamtime symbolizes a time when the land was inhabited by ancestral spirits.
The inspiration for Dressing for Dreamtime by J.E. Rogers finds its roots in Aboriginal culture. Scientists have the Big Bang. Christians have a God and six days. Aboriginal people have Dreamtime. Thanks to the ancestral spirits, there is life on earth with land and seas in their chosen formations. Thanks to Rogers readers will get to experience a tale about Dreamtime as they learn about an important ceremony.
Just as colorful as the cover and story illustrations, the story weaves a tale about two monitor lizards, Mibili and Nintaka. In a book of two parts, the scaly pair invite readers to join them on a journey to the Australian outback as they prepare to celebrate at the Dreamtime Ceremony. Across the early pages, readers will witness signs of friendship going unrewarded, as Nintaka does what he can for his best friend. Unfortunately, Mibili is not so generous with his efforts and behaves in a way that causes grave upset. As everyone gathers to sing and dance, one little lizard has to decide whether he will join the fun or let a spat ruin the fun.
Although it contains a healthy dose of Australian slang, the book is an interesting read for parent and child to read together. The story is simple, the moral is clear, but the words are not necessarily the easiest for new readers. Children of all ages will appreciate the authentic colorful illustrations that make use of Aboriginal traditional patterns. Young children will enjoy hearing the story read to them, emerging readers will enjoy the novelty of the subject and a chance to learn some new words. As a picture book, more pages with less text per page would probably serve young readers better. This aside, curious minds are likely to be interested in the 'glossary' that fills the remainder of the pages. For all readers, the glossary offers a paragraph about the various Autralian creatures and words experienced in the book, complete with relevant photographs to accompany the terms. For the explorer, the glossary pages also offer a wider insight into the Australian continent as a whole teaching them about additional creatures that are common to the continent but not necessarily to their own homelands. Therefore, as well as lizards, the ghost gum tree and the outback, children are taught about kangaroos, emus, and billabongs and most importantly, the Aboriginal race that inspired the book. Although the glossary serves as a reasonable teaching aid, it is somewhat misplaced. In the usual sense, a glossary would explain any difficult concepts within the text that warrant further understanding. The fact that this section explained more terms that were absent versus those that were present gave it a disjointed feel. Readers would probaly appreciate seeing more of the Australian creatures and landscape within the actual story.
As a mature reader, there were some contradictions e.g., in one breath Nintaka has forgotten about the event, but in a moment that follows fear, he clearly remembers he has to be home early so that he can attend. Younger children are not likely to notice. Overall, it is worth reading to exemplify the point of being oneself, and to admire the artwork. It can’t hurt with geography practice either.
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Synopsis
Dressing for Dreamtime tells the story of two young lizard friends in the Outback of Australia. They want to wear their best for the annual Dreamtime Celebration where all the animals come together to celebrate the sky above and the red earth below. They have the brilliant idea of enhancing their own natural markings for ones they believe will be extra special. It all turns a bit sour.
They will learn that accepting themselves as they are is a very important lesson rather than pretend they need to be different.
A glossary at the back of the book provides tidbits of information, for young readers, about the flora and fauna mentioned within the story.
About the author
Infused with a reverence for life, I love animals and I have always been especially intrigued by the unusual wildlife that can only be found in Australia. My love for Australia has flowed into my books. My hope is young readers will be inspired by what my books have to offer. view profile
Published on June 15, 2023
Published by AHA! Press
1000 words
Genre: Picture Books
Reviewed by
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