Muttonfish Magic (Ruth Simms & Lucy Robertson, illus Jasmine Seymour, Magabala)

Muttonfish Magic honours the Kameragyl and Bidjigal people, the traditional custodians of the land around Kamay (Botany Bay) and Guriwal (La Perouse). With sensory lyricism, Bidjigal Elder Ruth Simms and Lucy Robertson depict a loving First Nations family inspired by Simms’s own childhood in the area. The book’s title is intriguing and invites readers aged 5 to 12 into the story. Ruth, the young narrator, and her three older brothers are taken on an expedition by their mother from their home in La Perouse to catch muttonfish (abalone). Their mother is organised, athletic, understanding, kind and wise, teaching them about their culture and how to be resourceful and self-sufficient while they catch, prepare and eat muttonfish. Dharug woman and Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner Jasmine Seymour accentuates the family’s bond through illustrations that radiate warmth and connection. Her expressive depictions of family interactions, combined with luminous land and waterscapes and meticulous renderings of local flora, deepen the book’s sense of place and belonging. Primary school-aged readers familiar with Seymour’s Open Your Heart to Country and Lisa Kennedy’s books will appreciate Muttonfish Magic. It is an impressive picture book that should receive critical acclaim and wide educational use.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Joy Lawn has worked for independent bookshops and blogs at Paperbark Words. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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