Margaret James, M.Ed (TESOL), is the winner of several accolades including NT Australian of the Year finalist, QUT Faculty of Education outstanding alumni, Courier Mail 50 Brightest and Best. She was shaped by her multilingual rural childhood in Southern Africa where Indigenous languages surrounded her. This significantly influenced her choice of tertiary studies - among these were linguistics, languages, education, and Teaching English as an Additional Language. This background was to prove invaluable when, after a fulfilling and varied career in several countries, she moved into Indigenous Education in Australia. The paucity of engaging, early-reading material for EALD learners and her relationship with Elders of several Australian Nations, led her to develop several linguistically and culturally appropriate books and resources in English and several Aboriginal languages. Her first series is the innovative and highly successful Honey Ant® Readers. While visiting schools and communities in order to deliver Professional Development for the Honey Ant® Readers, Margaret became increasingly aware of the similar need for engaging, early-reading material for older learners as well. She worked closely with Elders, students and illustrators to develop linguistically and culturally appropriate learn-to-read story books for older readers, and books which could be enjoyed by non-Indigenous readers equally, while teaching them about the cultures and food gathering practices of Australian First Peoples. This included trips to the desert and the coast with Elders and children who shared their knowledge about tracking, hunting and fishing for food. Reading Tracks® - stories about hunting, tracking and fishing - is the result.
Anne McMaster MFA, a nationally and internationally renowned and multi-award winning artist, is also a very experienced art teacher who taught art at Tiwi College for 7 years before moving to become Head of Visual Arts at Haileybury Randell School in Darwin in 2019. She feels very proud to have collaborated with the students for this beautifully illustrated book, which is based on the hunting and fishing adventures of four young cousins.
Crystal Butler lives at Pirlangimpi, on the west coast of Melville Island and attends Tiwi College boarding school. Her skin group is mullet. Her country is Goose Creek on Melville Island. Her dreaming is shark. She created 2 paintings: 1. The eagle grabbing the bait. 2.The croc grabbing the fish.
Ruby Brooks, already a well-known Tiwi artist, is from Pajuwapura, on the west coast of Bathurst Island. She is a senior student at Tiwi College. Her dreaming is rainbow serpent. Her skin tribe is sun, from my mother. Every spare chance I get, I like to draw. I painted 4 pictures for this book: 1. The boys leaving the house. 2. Putting the bait on the hook. 3. The boys swimming in the waterhole. 4. The boys sitting around the camp fire.
Martine Puruntatameri, already a successful artist, is from Millikapiti on the northern coast of Melville Island. Her skin group is jungle fowl. Her skin tribe is sun and her country is Yapilika. Martine is a boarder at Tiwi College. She painted the barra.
Jayden Apatimi is from Pirlangimpi, on the west coast of Melville Island. His skin group is shark. He likes art and his Auntie is an artist at Tiwi Design. He would like to illustrate another book for Margaret. He painted the croc picture for this book.
Maletta Warrior Rioli lives at Pirlangimpi, on the west coast of Melville Island, and is a boarding student at Tiwi College. Her skin tribe is sun. Her mother is Tiwi, her father is Torres Strait. Her mother’s dreaming is turtle. Her other dreaming is jungle fowl. Her father is crocodile and dugong. Both her parents are artists and she likes to learn from them. She painted two illustrations: 1. The barra on the fire. 2. The boys collecting wood.
Demaga Warrior lives at Pirlangimpi, on the west coast of Melville Island and attends Tiwi College. Her skin tribe is sun. Her dreaming is turtle and jungle fowl. She plays guitar and is also a dancer. Her father is a print maker and artist from Torres Strait and her mother makes her art from home. She painted the 2 barra in the bag for this book.
