Open Your Heart to Country

This beautiful book is told in Dharug and English, speaking to the lost children of Country and welcoming them home. The soothing tone is perfect for read-alouds to young children, and the book’s gentle, healing voice speaks to a deep pain which will connect with older readers who have been separated from Country. A thought-provoking book for all, which encourages readers to consider their connection to place. 

Dharug language is represented in an interesting and immersive way. Each double page spread features a sweet message in English. Paired with this is a Dharug line which expresses the ideas of the English line in Dharug. A direct translation of the Dharug line helps non-Dharug speakers to understand how the English line would be said in Dharug. For example, “Listen to its language. Learn how to speak its song” becomes “Ngara Ngurrangai dhalangu / Listen to the language of Country.” The English, Dharug, and translated English lines are all condensed at the back of the book as well as a pronunciation guide and a brief explanation of the differences between English and Dharug.

Dreamlike, colourful illustrations in Jasmine Seymour’s distinctive style use layers of transparency to depict a real and unreal landscape. People swim in seas of stars and wander through lush forests, surrounded by Australian flora and fauna. Their modern clothes set them apart from the landscape, and the tone is one of homecoming and discovery.