Walk with us through one of the Top End’s magnificent monsoon forests, in Kakadu National Park, learning about the plants. animals and Kundjeyhmi culture along the way.

This is an invitation that I couldn’t resist. Heading off into the forest on the edge of the billabong, we come across a treeful of anboyberre, white bush apples, which are a little sour but delicious. There’s a maya maya, a shining flycatcher, on her nest and a lok lok, a skink, among the leaves. But better not go into the water as there could be a kinga, a saltwater crocodile, blowing bubbles in there. Later we come across a huge red termite nest which we leave alone just in case it is one of the special ones that is used for ceremonies.

So much to see and do and listen to. There are special tall trees that could be hollowed out to make canoes so that goose eggs can be collected and people can even travel to other nearby islands. We do a bit of digging until we find some cheeky yams in the shallow soil. We’ll cook them later in a billy over a little fire. We’ll gather some kurrak, freshwater mussels, and cook them in the hot coals.

There is so much more to tell you about this wonderful trip. It has opened my eyes to the richness of our country and the incredible love and knowledge of our Indigenous Australians. And Emma Long’s art is so wonderfully detailed and so utterly beautiful that I found myself mesmerised as I turned the pages.

I hope you and your children enjoy every page as I have.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom
Age Guide 5+