Counting our Country is a bilingual counting book from Jill Daniels, a Ritharrnu and Madarrpa artist who lives in South-East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Jill’s paintings of animals found on her country are distinctive bright and bold, and she hopes that children will love counting the animals from one to 10 as they turn the pages.
Each double-page spread features the name of the animal in Ritharrnu, Jill’s traditional language, and in English. A guide on ‘How to pronounce the Ritharrnu animal names’ appears at the back of the book and encourages readers and young children to see if they can say them. Counting our Country recognises the value of developing cultural literacy by introducing language and art in the early years. Counting Our Country is Jill’s first book. Jill Daniels is a Ritharrnu and Madarrpa woman from South East-Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. She has been painting for many years and lives in Ngukurr, a remote community nestled on the banks of the Roper River. Jill is known for her depictions of animals from her country in bold colours.
The clever design of Counting Our Country allows a seamless integration of the text with Jill’s striking art while introducing the art and language from South-East Arnhem Land to an Early Childhood Audience. Counting Our Country will be available from February in bookshops and online from Magabala Books.
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