Anna the Goanna and other poems

Summary

Cheeky dogs, slippery snakes and crocodiles with big smiles join Anna in this collection of lively illustrated poems. With warmth and respect, we’re taken into the children’s lives as they camp under the stars, go hunting for tucker and play footy in the dust. Recommended for Years K–6.

Anna the Goanna provides rare insight into the richly textured lives of contemporary Indigenous children.

The poems are rhythmic and memorable, with a jaunty beat. They’re designed specially for school performances and presentations.

Jill McDougall has lived and taught for many years in Australian Indigenous communities, from Palm Island in the east of Australia to the Great Sandy Desert in the west. She began writing for Aboriginal children in order to provide classroom reading material which reflected the daily experiences of her students.

Jenny Taylor has lived in Central Australia since 1994 and has worked with artists and families in a number of Aboriginal communities. She currently works in adult education, at the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs, and maintains her own art practice.

Reviews and endorsements

Taylor’s delightful watercolour and wash illustrations do more than just illustrate the verses — they also interpret them, broadening their appeal and provided a glimpse of Aboriginal community life. This is a valuable resource. Recommended.

— Helen Prudie, Magpies, Number One, March 2008

This collection of poems is a joy from the moment you see the cover picture…[the] impact goes beyond the classroom. For those of us in the city [it] gives us a glimpse of life in those remote communities that very few of us will ever see for ourselves. 

— Review of Anna in hardback (Australian Book Review)