"Come Together Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples" By Isaiah Firebrace,Jaelyn Biumaiwai (illustrator)

Come Together is a heart-warming, debut picture book for children aged 5 and up from pop artist Isaiah Firebrace, inspired by his petition to the Australian Government calling for Aboriginal history to be taught in every classroom.

In this essential book, Isaiah, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, establishes a foundation of First Nations knowledge with 20 key topics. Alongside bright and contemporary illustrations by Mununjali and Fijian artist Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Isaiah connects us to each topic through his own personal story and culture, from the importance of Elders to the Dreaming.

At once accessible and engaging, Come Together will make every Aussie kid proud that we are home to the longest continuing culture on Earth!

From Miss Hailey Birchers Early Learning Beaconsfield: 

"The Kinders have had many adventures over the year and with NAIDOC week approaching it was felt that we have so many aspects of Indigenous perspective and elements throughout our days that we wanted to make a real connection to our community.

Within our community we have Bunjil Place- the Home of Arts and Entertainment in the City of Casey. They are currently holding an exhibiton: Kungka Kunpu (Strong Women) showcasing and celebrating works by women artists from the Anangu Pitjantjajara Yankunytjatjara Lands. I invited our families to come and meet with me on a weekend to view the exhibition and it is from this that we were inspired to try making our own weaving sculpture.

The Kinders worked hard together and on their own with me to learn about how weaving is use in different cultures especially in Aboriginal cultures. We decided to make Bunjil the Eagle which is our totem.

Once Bunjil the Eagle was constructed we placed him on display on our family table for everyone to see. Aside from one side panel the Kinder children 100% created Bunjil the Eagle using a broken peg basket and three bowls, wire, wooden beads and coloured raffa. We explored totems and are very proud of our Bunjil."

"As we continued to connect nature with our learning, the Kinders worked with their friends in the Pre Kinder class to recreate the Aboriginal Flag during Reconciliation Week. Using the leaves we found we were able to use the black of our path and red and yellow leaves.

We had been learning about the colours of the flag and what they represent and as we had a take home activity with our families to decorate a heart for our Sea of Hearts. We felt that we did not want to impose the political aspect upon the children however along with our families we agreed that it is important for our children to learn about what has happened to our First Nations Peoples and so we placed hands prints around our flag as we said our Acknowledgement of Country to signify that it is important Now More Than Ever to ensure generations to come grow with respect, understanding and the wanting for a better Australia for all."

 

About the Author

Australian pop artist Isaiah Firebrace is a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man who grew up on the banks of the Murray River. After a childhood of hardship faced by so many in the Aboriginal community, Isaiah's life changed completely after winning The X Factor in 2016 on his 17th birthday.

With a multi-platinum single under his belt, Isaiah has represented Australia at Eurovision and is a regular across Australian television. His commitment to mentoring and changing the lives of Indigenous youth has seen him tour all corners of the country speaking to young people and offering his personal story of hope and inspiration. His new children's book represents the next chapter is his already remarkable story.

About the Illustrator

Jaelyn Biumaiwai is a self-taught illustrator. She is of Mununjali and Fijian ancestry, and creates on Kombumerri Country, Gold Coast. She has a passion for First Nations and Pasifika culture and communities, and this is reflected in the work she does. She is also already a published illustrator, through the book Heroes, Rebels and Innovators by Karen Wyld.

ISBN: 9781741178166
ISBN-10: 1741178169
Audience: Children
For Ages: 5+ years old
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 40
Published: 16th November 2022
Publisher: Hardie Grant Explore
Dimensions (cm): 1 x 30.5  x 26
Weight (kg): 0.573