"Baby Business" by Jasmine Seymour

Baby Business tells the story of the baby smoking ceremony that welcomes baby to country. The smoke is a blessing — it will protect the baby and remind them that they belong.

This beautiful ritual is recounted in a way young children will completely relate to.

About the Author

Jasmine Seymour is a Darug woman and a descendant of Maria Lock, daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal Elder who had met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury in 1791. It is Jasmine's wish that through her books, everyone will know that the Darug mob are still here, still strong. Jasmine is a primary school teacher in the Hawkesbury area of NSW.

Author: Jasmine Seymour
Illustrated By: Maggie Prewett

Reviews:

"Our babies in our nursery love this."
Victoria Tori Parton

From Rose Park Community Centre:

Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges encourages openness to diverse perspectives, enhancing all children’s experiences with the longest surviving Indigenous culture of the world and the custodians of this land. In the Kuula room, music plays an important role in development. Educators often use song as another means of knowledge building, playing all genres of music from jazz to hip hop and everything culturally diverse in between. Through consultation with Aboriginal Elders, the embedment of Kaurna language in program and practice further enhances children’s experiences. Song plays a crucial role in achieving this.

Music is universal, songs that are sang in language, create moments of connection for all. Children model to their families the Kaurna songs, words and actions that they learn whilst at care. Kaurna words are spoken through everyday conversation, in particular through greetings, the “care for country” song in which is unpacked and modified in accordance with each room’s developmental understanding and the names of the animals on country. We acknowledge that we all have so much more to work towards, but the foundations for knowledge, the openness and willingness to learn is evident and to start somewhere is better than not starting at all.

ISBN: 9781925768671
ISBN-10: 1925768678
Audience: Children
For Ages: 3 - 6 years old
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 32
Published: 1st June 2019
Publisher: Magabala Books
Country of Publication: AU
Dimensions (cm): 25.0 x 25.0