Ask Aunty: Seasons is a delightful and educational picture book for children aged 5 to 10 years that introduces First Nations seasonal calendars.
Have you ever been excited for the first day of summer, only to be disappointed when it arrives cold and rainy? For First Nations People in Australia, the seasons don’t change when the calendar does. Instead, we can look for changes in plants, animals, water, weather and the stars to mark the start of a new season.
Aunty Munya explains how there are six seasons on her Country. Mankal is the rainy season, bringing strong winds from the ocean, while Barrgan is the season when bush fruits are most plentiful.
With stunning illustrations by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Ask Aunty: Seasons encourages all readers to develop a deeper connection with the land, waters and sky.
Enjoy a preview of the book here with Aunty Munya reading it on Tiktok
About the Author
Aunty Munya is an Elder from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Like many Aboriginal people, she has learned to work and live in two worlds. Educated in Australia and the USA, she has degrees in anthropology and law. She has practised law in Victoria and New South Wales as a solicitor and barrister, and is equally well-versed in the traditional laws, customs and practices of her People. Aunty Munya is the co-director of Evolve Communities, which specialises in cultural awareness training and ally accreditation.
She is a LinkedIn Top Voice and has been featured in ABC News, The Guardian, and Sydney Morning Herald to name a few.
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is a proud Bundjalung woman and award-winning illustrator, residing on Dharug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains. Charmaine brings vivid and emotive visual storytelling to each book she creates. She is passionate about sharing First Nations experiences and perspectives, through the language of art and visual literacy, with everyone she meets and encourages all to transcend inhibition and find their creativity.