Respect by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson

Illustrated by Lisa Kennedy.

Respect is the first title in the ‘Our Place’ series of four children’s picture books which welcome and introduce children to important elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Respect whispers a soft and heartfelt message about the basic cultural principle that informs all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations throughout Australia. Respect is about a way of life that is older than flickering stars, about stories that shimmer through tall grasses, and redgum leaves that tumble to a parched and red earth. It teaches children the importance of family who show the way and how we need to listen, learn and share.

This eloquent and delicate story shows young and old alike, what Respect looks like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

About Authors

Aunty Fay Muir is a senior Boon Wurrung and Wamba Wamba Elder, First Nations community leader and Koori Court Elder. She is a Language Specialist, working as a prison educator in First Nations languages and is a creative language revival consultant and collaborator. Aunty Fay provides cultural guidance to students and teachers at all levels of the Victorian education system, providing cultural and curriculum advice. In 2020, she was inducted to both the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll. Aunty Fay cares about sharing her culture and stories and loves to take readers on a journey of learning.

Award-winning Australian author Sue Lawson writes books for children and young adults. Her books include The Biscuit Maker, illustrated by Liz Anelli and young adult novels Freedom Ride, shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and the NSW and WA Premier’s Literary Awards, and Pan’s Whisper, which won the Australian Family Therapist Award and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. Sue’s young adult and children’s books are recognised for the sensitive way they explore the exciting and heartbreaking complexities of growing up.

Lisa Kennedy is a descendant of the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway Clans. She can trace her Aboriginal heritage through her father’s line to Ancestral grandmother Woretermoeteryenner, eldest daughter of Mannalargenna. Lisa has illustrated many award-winning books for young people and is published both in Australia and internationally. Her most recent books include Sea Country by Aunty Patsy Cameron, and Respect by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, both published by Magabala Books. Lisa feels blessed to have collaborated with Aunty Patsy Cameron on their second book Sky Country.

Specifications: Hardback