A Is for Aunty

This book was inspired by aboriginal artist Elaine Russell's childhood memories of her family and their life on the mission at Murrin Bridge. Each letter of the alphabet takes the reader on a different journey through the daily events of Elaine's childhood - being chased by emus, billycart racing, looking after her pet possum, picking quandongs.

More than just an alphabet book, this title uses the letters A-Z as a framework to tell us about growing up on a mission in northern New South Wales. It is a first alphabet book with an Aboriginal theme and describes daily routines and incidents in and around the mission - including billycart racing and yabby fishing.

About the Author

Elaine Russell was born in Tingha, northern New South Wales, in 1941. She spent most of her childhood on the Aboriginal mission at Lake Cargelligo, where her father was a handyman. In 1993, Elaine enrolled in a visual arts course and was finally able to realise her lifelong ambition to be a painter. Her work has been displayed - and is held by - museums and galleries around the world. Elaine′s first book, A is for Aunty (ABC Books, 2000), was shortlisted for the Picture Book Award in the 2001 Children′s Book Council of Australia Awards, and was an Eve Pownall Information Book Honour Book.