Bapa's Last Canoe by Maree McCarthy Yoelu. Illus. by Samantha Campbell

This gorgeous picture book shares a simple yet engaging story about a last canoe made by Bapa, the author’s grandfather. Bapa takes his family on what will be their last canoe journey before his three daughters leave to attend school in the city. It is a long journey for them to connect with Country and create memories for the future.

The narrative begins with Bapa making a large canoe out of the Kapok tree that will be big enough to fit the family of five. During the journey, the family sing songs, fish, listen to stories and take in the stunning country that surrounds them. They visit their extended family and camp, cook periwinkles over the campfire and listen to Bapa tell stories under the stars. Travelling some more the family spends months together before the three girls must go to a new school far away. Bapa symbolically sets the canoe free and the family know that changes are ahead for them.

The vibrant illustrations are bold in colour and perfectly reflect the gentle telling of the story. The use of repetitive text is an important part of early years reading and the placement of the words and at times how they move across the page helps to reinforce meaning and understanding. A delight book for schools and public libraries.

Teacher Notes will be available soon on the Magabala website.

Themes: First Nations People, Family, Canoe building, Country, Farewells, Change.

Kathryn Beilby