Bawoo Stories

Four wonderful traditional teaching stories of the Wongutha people are collected together here for the first time!

Barn Barn Barlala The Kangaroos Who Wanted to be People How Crows Became Black Why the Emu Can't Fly First published as individual titles in 1992, these stories were seen as ground-breaking publications, presenting traditional Indigenous stories in a bi-lingual text. Sales of the individual titles now exceed 26,000 copies each.

Updated with a vibrant new design, the stories are still as fresh and appealing as ever. The collected work contains a map, explanatory note and a simple pronunciation guide for the Wongutha words used in the text.

About the Author

May O’Brien was born in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, and at the age of five, was taken to Mount Margaret Mission where she spent the next twelve years. She taught in Western Australian rural and metropolitan primary schools for twenty-five years. May served in a number of other positions before being appointed Superintendent of Aboriginal Education, a position she held until her early retirement in 1988.

About the Illustrators

Sue Wyatt was born in Kalgoorlie in 1952. She studied graphic design at James Street Art School in Perth. Sue served three terms on the ATSIC Wongutha Regional Council, has worked in primary and high schools and has nursed in Laverton.

Angela Leaney was born in Perth in 1968. In recognition of her enthusiasm and talent she received the coveted Hoechst National Textile Award on completion of her degree in fine arts at Edith Cowan University. She went on to exhibit her work in Melbourne before returning to Perth.