Drover, written by Neridah McMullin and published by Walker Books
Readers will love it because
It’s an exciting true story with lots of drama and interesting characters (both human and bovine!)
Storytime idea
Think about the food the drovers ate and brainstorm why that kind of food might be good for long journeys. Draw a picture of your favourite foods.
Creative life
The hardest thing about making this book was making sure that my illustrations accurately depicted Australian 1950s life, flora and fauna, landscape and buildings. Also, I had to learn a lot about cattle!
Advice for creators
Put your heart into everything you do.
Unique appeal
It is a true Australian story and will hold interest for all members of the family. Children will love the excitement of the chase scenes and the naughty cattle. The main bullock character ‘Shifty’ is depicted somewhere in every scene, so they can have fun playing ‘spot Shifty’ as they look through the book.
As a true Australian story about a female drover in the 1950s there is lots of scope for discussion about gender roles and how life is similar, or different to today.
A final word
I hope you all enjoy reading our book!