Our Flag, Our Story (Bernard Namok Jnr & Thomas Mayo, illus Tori-Jay Mordey, Magabala)

Reading Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait Islander Flag by Bernard Namok Jnr and Thomas Mayo on so-called Australia Day feels incredibly poignant. In October 2023, Australians voted against establishing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which would have provided an advisory body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Having books written by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feels crucial in this political climate—especially educational resources aimed at younger audiences. Our Flag, Our Story tells of the creation of the Torres Strait Islander flag (which was designed by author Bernard Namok Jnr’s father in 1992) in a direct and accessible way, explaining how each element of the flag represents the people and their relationship to sea, land and sky: ‘This blue is the sea, our lifeblood. We call the sea malu.’ The text explains that the flag represents elements of Torres Strait Islanders’ culture and history, highlighting their enduring cultural strength amid the challenges of colonisation and oppression. Tori-Jay Mordey’s illustrations provide a strong visual complement to this narrative with their punchy graphic-novel quality. The style of these illustrations appears aimed at a slightly older audience than the text seems to target; however, this makes it appealing to a wider range of readers (aged 5–12). This book will be a useful tool for teachers and families of preschool- and primary school-aged children.

Books+Publishing reviewer: George Banach-Salas is a queer, non binary teacher, writer and former bookseller living in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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