Books by First Nations Authors and Illustrators for Children to Teens

We are a nation with a long history of storytelling and we are incredibly fortunate to have so many talented First Nations Peoples writing and illustrating books for our young people. Books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples allow us all the opportunity to walk alongside a character as they tell their story from their perspective. Books allow us to see the perspective of another, and this is key in understanding big topics such as The Voice and the significance of the referendum. I would encourage all parents and caregivers to seek out books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples which tell stories of the past, the present and the future that we want.

On my lists below you’ll find books by some astonishing creators, some of my personal favourites are Anita Heiss, Kirli Saunders, Aunty Joy Murphy, Dub Leffler, Gary Lonesborough, Melanie Saward, Gregg Dreise and Jasmine Seymour.

Books by First Nations Authors and Illustrators

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• ‘Bidhi Galing, Big Rain’ by Anita Heiss
• ‘My Deadly Boots’ by by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler
• ‘Our Dreaming’ by Kirli Saunders and Dub Leffler
• ‘Story Doctors’ by Boori Monty Pryor and Rita Sinclair
• ‘Goal!!!’ by Lydia Williams and Lucinda Gifford
• ‘Welcome, Child!’ by Sally Morgan. Read more about Sally in my ‘Book People’ series here.
• ‘Welcome to Country’ by Lisa Kennedy and Aunty Joy Murphy
• ‘Billie and the Blue Bike’ by Ambelin Kwaymullina. Read more about Ambelin in my ‘Book People’ series here.
• ‘Too Many Cheeky Dogs’ by Johanna Bell and Dion Beasley
• ‘Mum’s Elephant’ by Maureen Jipiyiliya, Nampijinpa O’Keefe and Christina Booth
• ‘Hello and Welcome’ by Gregg Dreise
• ‘Baby Business’ by Jasmine Seymour. My full review here.
• ‘The River’ by Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr
• ‘The Art in Country’ by Bronwyn Bancroft
• ‘Main Abija My Grandad’ by Karen Rogers
• ‘Counting our Country’ by Jill Daniels
• ‘Respect’ by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, Lisa Kennedy
• ‘Family’ by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson and Jasmine Seymour
• ‘Wandihnu and the Old Dugong’ by Elizabeth Wymarra and Wandihnu Wymarra, Benjamin Hodges
• ‘Our Home our Heartbeat’ by Adam Briggs
• ‘On the Way to Nana’s’ by Frances Haji-Ali and Lindsay Haji-Ali and David Hardy
• ‘Day Break’ by Amy McQuire
• ‘Cooee Mittagar: A Story on Darug Songlines’ by Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson
• ‘Coming Home to Country’ by Bronwyn Bancroft
• ‘Backyard Birds’ by Helen Milroy
• ‘My Culture and Me’ by Gregg Dreise
• ‘Little Bird’s Day’ by Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr
• ‘Found’ by Bruce Pascoe and Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
• ‘I Want to be a Superhero’ by Breanna Humes and Amberlin Kwaymullina
• ‘The Emu Who Ran Through the Sky’ by Helen Milroy
• ‘Willy-Willy Wagtail’ by Helen Milroy
• ‘I Love Me’ by Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina
• ‘Shake a Leg’ by Boori Monty Pyror
• ‘My Australian Story: Who Am I?’ by Anita Heiss
• ‘Sea Country’ by Aunty Patsy Cameron and Lisa Kennedy
• ‘Demon Guards the School Yard’ by Anita Heiss and the students of La Perouse Public School
• ‘Finding Our Heart: A Story about the Uluru Statement for Young Australians’ by Thomas Mayor and Blak Douglas
• ‘Bubbay’s Desert Adventure’ by Josie Wowolla Boyle and Fern Martins. Review for CBD by Dr Sam Lloyd here.
• ‘Wilam: A Birrarung Story’ by Aunty Joy Murphy, Andrew Kelly and Lisa Kennedy
• ‘Rocky and Louie’ by Phillip Walleystack, Raewyn Caisley and Dub Leffler
• ‘Mrs Whitlam’ by Bruce Pascoe
• ‘Seahorse’ by Bruce Pascoe
• ‘Stolen Girl’ by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald
• ‘Brother Moon’ by Maree McCarthy Yoelu and Samantha Fry
• ‘Albert Namatjira’ by Vincent Namatjira
• ‘Shirley Purdie’ by Shirley Purdie

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Books by First Nations Authors and Illustrators for Middle and Upper Primary School Readers

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• ‘Common Wealth’ by Gregg Dreise
• ‘Our Race for Reconciliation’ by Anita Heiss
• ‘Bindi’ by Kirli Saunders and Dub Leffler. Read more about Kirli and ‘Bindi’ in my ‘Book People’ series here.
• ‘Kunyi’ by Kunyi June Anne McInerney
• ‘Loving Country’ Bruce Pascoe and Vicky Shukuroglou
• ‘Took the Children Away’ by Archie Roach
• Deadly D series by Scott Prince and Dave Hartley
• ‘Sister Heart’ by Sally Morgan
• ‘Njunjul the Sun’ by Meme McDonald and Boori Monty Pyror
• ‘My Girragundji’ by Meme McDonald and Boori Monty Pyror
• ‘Black Cockatoo’ by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler
• ‘Yinti’ series by Jimmy Pike and Pat Lowe
• ‘Home to Mother’ by Doris Pilkington Garimara

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Books by First Nations Authors and Illustrators for Secondary School Age Readers

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• ‘Borderland’ by Graham Akhurst
• ‘The Upswelling’ by Lystra Rose
• ‘Burn’ by Melanie Saward
• ‘Kindred’ by Kirli Saunders
• ‘We Didn’t Think it Through’ by Gary Lonesborough
• ‘Ubby’s Underdogs’ series by Brenton E McKenna
• ‘Ghost Bird’ by Lisa Fuller
• ‘Finding the Heart of the Nation’ by Thomas Mayor (YA and adult edition)
• ‘Tell Me Why’ by Archie Roach (YA edition)
• ‘Growing up Aboriginal in Australia’ edited by Anita Heiss
• ‘My Father’s Shadow’ by Jannali Jones
• ‘Wraith’ by Alexandra Smithers and Shane Smithers
• ‘Brontide’ by Sue McPherson
• ‘Catching Teller Crow’ by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
• ‘Flock: First Nations Stories Then and Now’ edited by Ellen van Neerven
• ‘The Boy from the Mish’ by Gary Lonesborough
• ‘Shauna’s Great Expectations’ by Kathleen Loughnan
• ‘Living on Stolen Land’ by Ambelin Kwaymullina
• ‘Meet Me at the Intersection’ edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina
• ‘Grace Beside Me’ by Sue McPherson

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