Dick Roughsey (1924–1985)

This story was about two group of people, the snake men and the bird men. Each group were men who turned themselves into the different animals when necessary. The snake men killed one of the bird men named Banana Bird and so the rest of the bird men come for revenge. I liked this book in that it is a myth that explains the five rivers in the desert. I enjoyed that the book exposes readers to a story behind the landscape. I believe that children would enjoy the mythical characters who can show more turn from animals into humans and visa versa. I also believe that children would enjoy hearing the story behind the desert, almost feeling as if they are being let in on a secret of why the land exists. Lastly, enjoyed that there was not much text on each page, allowing the illustrator to present a large picture with each step of the story. show less

This must be compulsory reading for every young child in Australian schools. It certainly seemed that way back when I was at school.