8/11/2019 Resource Collection Write Up

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Pettersen, C. (2007). Yongka, Miyak: Kangaroo and Moon. Batchelor, NT: Batchelor Press.

Yongka, Miyak: Kangaroo and Moon (2007) is a picture book based on a traditional Noongar bedtime

story which was passed down through the generations. According to Pettersen, this story was told to

her by her elders to distract them from night time noises and also to keep them calm during these

times. As the title of the book suggests, this book tells a story about the friendship between a

boastful kangaroo and the Moon. The arrogant kangaroo drove all his friends away as he was

constantly boasting about how high and far he could jump. Being lonely, he made friends with the

Moon and contested it to jumping high and far. Nonetheless, the Moon always won up until the last

lively contest on which the kangaroo asked it who could live the longest. While the Moon claims thatit lives forever, the Kangaroo replied that the Moon comes to life and then dies again referring to

the phases of the Moon.

Due to the nature of the story, this fictional book could be used for integration in science and

literacy for lower and middle primary school students. Since the book explores ideas on the phases

of the Moon, it could be used as an introduction to discuss about day and night and/or phases of the

Moon. These science topics are covered in the Year 3 science curriculum. The story could also

promote the reading and writing aspect of literacy. As a result of the extensive use of adjectives in

the book, this book could also be a great resource for lower primary students to explore the use of

adjectives in sentences.

The author, Carol Pattersen, is a Minung-Gnudju woman of the Noongar nation. She was born in

Gnowangerup Mission, which is located in the Southwest of Western Australia, in 1940 and lived in

Albany for most of her life. Although she has since retired as a civil servant, she continues to

volunteer for the Noongar community where she actively assists in bringing social and economic

changes for the Noongar people.

This picture book is written in both English and Noongar-Balardon, which is a language spoken in the

Southwest of Western Australia. It has a glossary containing key Noongar-Barlardon words used in

the book, as well as a page on teaching students on the Noongar pronunciation. Consequently, this

book could be used to teach the Noongar language as part of the cross-curriculum priority.

Therefore, with above reasons, this book is an invaluable resource for Indigenous and non-

Indigenous students in Western Australia as well as other parts of Australia.