Stories are an accessible avenue for encouraging both curiosity and reflection. We recommend taking the time to read some of these wonderful picture books from Australian First Nations creators that focus on truth-telling and righting the wrongs of the past. These beautiful books allow us to have those important conversations with our children and move forward together.

Looking after Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen

A picture book that demonstrates respect for Indigenous knowledge, following the success of Victor Steffensen’s bestselling adult book Fire Country. Join Uncle Kuu as he takes us out on Country and explains cultural burning. Featuring stunning artwork by Sandra Steffensen, this is a powerful and timely story of understanding Australia’s ecosystems through Indigenous fire management, and a respectful way forward for future generations to help manage our landscapes.

Suitable for ages 5 and up.

Day Break by Amy McQuire

The story of a family making their way back to Country on January 26. We see the strength they draw from being together, and from sharing stories as they move through a shifting landscape.

The story refocuses the narratives around ‘Australia Day’ on Indigenous survival and resistance, and in doing so honours the past while looking to the future.

Suitable for ages 3 and up.

Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing

For thousands of years, Aboriginal people lived in the land we call Australia. The land was where people built their homes, played in the sun, and sat together to tell stories. When the white people came they called the land Terra Nullius. They said it was nobody’s land. But it was somebody’s land.

Somebody’s Land is an invitation to connect with First Nations culture, acknowledge the hurt of the past, and join together as one community with a precious shared history as old as time.

Suitable for ages 2 and up.

Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe

This book asks young readers to consider a different version of Australia’s history pre-European colonisation.

Using the accounts of early European explorers, colonists and farmers, Bruce Pascoe compellingly argues for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer label for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. He allows the reader to see Australia as it was before Europeans arrived - a land of cultivated farming areas, productive fisheries, permanent homes, and thriving villages across the continent.

Suitable for ages 6 and up.

Finding our Heart by Thomas Mayor

‘When we all came together at Uluru, we invited all Australian people to accept our voice and culture as a gift.’

This is a book about understanding Australia’s past, so we can have a shared future. A young reader’s edition that follows Thomas Mayor’s bestselling book Finding the Heart of the Nation: The Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth.

Suitable for ages 3 and up.