My kid brought this home from their school library today. Way out here in the desert southwest of the United States. I think it’s a neat piece of Aussie culture that I did not expect to find here.
My question is: does this book hold any particular cultural cachet for Australians, similar to like the Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle or others?
This is one of those books that you’ll likely find on almost all Aussie kids bookshelves, or would at least know it from their childhood.
I read this book often and so much of this book is quintessentially Australian. The foods, are all typical Australian faire for the time it was written.
I’s having some Lamingtons yesterday, i have a Vegemite sandwich in my hand right now.
Even Australians penchant for gambling gets a look in, for better or worse. (The casino in Tassy)
I’m from Perth, and practically the only thing we’re well known for over east is our beaches, and where do those two possums end up? Yep, on the beach in Perth, (i like to imagine its Cottesloe, not sure why).
Almost every town here has a Lawn bowls centre, its the national sport no one names.
Even the Snake is illustrated in a way thats reminiscent of the Rainbow Serpent. (At least to me), which links to another Australian story, its probably the best known of the Indigenous dreamtime stories.
For me every page contains deep connection to Australia, even if some of the foods are Kiwi. But even that fact is huge. The Kiwi’s have a huge influence on Australia as a nation, and our food culture reflects that. I think i remember seeing that theres ~2million kiwis in Aus, and i believe, i’ve family, neighbours, and friends who are all Kiwi.
Your kid might not find out who the PM, or Governor General is from that book, but they’ll understand some deeper cultural things about Aus, just about all of which still hold true today.
The only difference between when this book was written, and now is we’ve added more to this cultural story since.