I’m Australian Too, by Mem Fox and Ronojoy Ghosh

I had seen ‘I’m Australian Too‘ around on social media, but wasn’t that excited by it, despite the author’s pedigree. I guess I had made a judgment that I knew what it was going to be about, and perhaps that part of me that likes a surprise or a twist won out.

I was right, but also very w r o n g. I did correctly predict the content, the book features people who are Australian and their stories. I think what I wasn’t expecting was that putting these stories into rhyming verse would make them so much more touching. Writing simply – at a child’s level – about people coming to our country because they had to flee terror, war or famine is a really difficult thing to do, but Mem Fox has succeeded marvelously.

The pictures are also really wonderful. They show different scenes around Oz, from trams in Melbourne to the Ghan in the outback. They capture the beauty and diversity of Australia and her people in a way kids will easily relate to.

There is so much of history and culture which could be explored through this book. I just quickly found this very short teacher resource online, but then my toddler woke up and I had to stop searching.

‘I’m Australian Too‘  is very much like a picture book version of the well-known song ‘We Are Australian’ which also inspires me and helps me realise how blessed and safe we are in the big continent of ours.