From Tasmanian First Nations creators, Aunty Patsy Cameron and Reena Balding, with exquisite art by Belinda Casey, In the Kelp Forest swells with strength, pride and beauty as a cultural celebration of life under the waves.
The story begins and ends with Myerlee, the giant kelp seaweed that breathes life, nutrients and shelter into the ocean’s ecosystem, and provides sustenance to the people connected to its deep history. Evocative language rolls in, out and over the kelp forest floor, sweeping us into Myerlee’s interconnection with the waves, the Warreners, Payenratters, Gribble worms and more. Women step where their ancestors walked and prepare meals as the sea whips and tugs Myerlee’s holdfasts from the sand. Tiny algae spores complete the cycle as new tangled grow and sprawl once again. Traditional Indigenous art captivates with dotted lines and curves in earth-toned watercolours, evoking the beating heart of the power of the kelp forest. Kelp facts and a terms glossary with various nations’ languages assist with further meaning of the text.
An intricate and mesmerising journey tied in a tangle of life and ancient connections.
Reviewed by Romi Sharp
Age Guide 4+
This review was supported by
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Aunty Patsy Cameron grew up on Flinders Island and can trace her Aboriginal heritage through her mother’s line to four Ancestral grandmothers; Pleenpereener, Wyerlooberer, Teekoolterme and Pollerelbrener.
Patsy has a Master of Arts in Tasmanian Aboriginal History and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Tasmania. She was inducted onto the Tasmanian Women’s Honour roll in 2006 and was invested with an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2017 for distinguished service to Indigenous communities in Tasmania. Her first picture book, with Lisa Kennedy, was Sea Country, also published by Magabala Books.
Reena Balding grew up in Tasmania and left to travel the world where she worked for a newspaper in Turkey and became a yoga instructor in Bali. Now living with her family in Hobart, Reena publishes books for the Australian government and writes for children and adults.
Belinda Casey is a proud great granddaughter of legendary Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, Fanny Smith, whose traditional homeland is Tebrakunna Country in North Eastern Trouwerner/Tasmania. Belinda graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from the School of Creative Arts, University of Tasmania in 2018 and was a finalist in both the 2025 John Glover Art Prize and the 2022 Hadley’s Art Prize. Belinda’s art practice honours the legacy of her ancestral grandmother and the strength and resilience of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, their culture and connection to Country.
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