18-07-2025
Yirrkala children's books celebrate Yolŋu language, life and culture
Three vibrant children's books created in the remote Northern Territory community of Yirrkala are celebrating Yolŋu culture, language and storytelling - through the eyes and voices of Elders, families and schoolchildren. Published by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), the books were developed in a collaborative workshop with local artists, writers and students from Yirrkala School. The books reflect the school's long-standing commitment to bilingual 'both ways' education - an approach that values and nurtures Yolŋu knowledge and English literacy side by side.
One of the standout titles, On the Way to Yalaŋbara, was written and illustrated by respected Yolŋu Elders Aunty Rärriwuy Garramu Marika and Aunty Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs.
The story recounts a real-life trip to the sacred homeland of Yalaŋbara, blending personal memory with deep cultural significance. 'It's a very beautiful place,' said Aunty Merrkiyawuy. 'The water is clear and the freshwater hole is right next to the sea. A lot of turtles come up and lay their eggs all along the beach.' Aunty Rärriwuy explained the inspiration came from a trip with a visitor from Melbourne University. 'We decided to take her out to our homelands. But you have to know how to drive on sand... I thought about the photos we took on that day and our adventures of not quite reaching Yalaŋbara - and we decided to turn it into a book.'
The illustrations combine Aunty Merrkiyawuy's detailed pencil and ink drawings with background watercolours created by Yirrkala School students.
The story was written first in Dhaŋu language, then translated into English. The Yolŋu version, Bala Yalaŋbarali, will be kept for community use, while the English edition will be shared more widely. Another title, Ŋäṉḏi ga Gatapaŋa (Mum and the Buffalo), tells a humorous and unexpected tale of a family's close encounter with a buffalo while out collecting pandanus. Written by Djawundil Maymara - a Maŋgalili woman from Bawaka - the story is bilingual in Dhuwaya and English, and features illustrations by Yirrkala students. The third book, Guḻun' (Billabong), is a vibrant counting book that introduces young readers to twelve local animals found around the billabong, also written in Dhuwaya and English.
Together, the three books are a powerful expression of Yolŋu storytelling - led by community, grounded in Country, and guided by language and kinship.
