Tamarra

Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country is a fascinating, illustrated science book that takes kids inside the life of termites through storytelling from the Gurindji People.

Did you know there are four types of termite poo? Or that a warm paste made from termite mound is used to strengthen a Gurindji baby’s body and spirit? Or that spinifex (which termites eat) is one of the strongest plants in the world?

Created as a collaboration between over 30 First Nations and non-Indigenous contributors, the story and artworks explore how termites and their mounds connect different parts of Country, from tiny Gurindji babies and their loving grandmothers, to spiky spinifex plants growing in the hot sun.

Written in traditional Gurindji, Gurindji Kriol and English (with a QR code to an audio version spoken in language), Tamarra is a truly original story with beautiful artwork that takes readers on an educational and cultural journey through Gurindji Country.

Suitable for children aged 7 to 12 years.

About the Authors

The co-creators of Tamarra are a diverse group of First Nations and non-Indigenous people. For over four months in 2021, they came together on Gurindji Country to explore a shared interest in termites and with a curiosity about how they could create a new kind of storybook together.

The First Nations artists and storytellers who contributed to this project are Gurindji women Violet Wadrill, Topsy Dodd and Leah Leaman, who are cultural custodians and members of Karungkarni Art based in Kalkaringi, Northern Territory. Gurindji students from Kalkaringi School also participated through workshops and art-making. Key non-Indigenous contributors are linguist Felicity Meakins who has worked with the Gurindji Community for over twenty years, artist Briony Barr and microbiologist Gregory Crocetti who collaborate as Scale Free Network, and language workers Cecelia Edwards and Cassandra Algy.