Once there was a Boy

Once There Was a Boy is a poignant, universal story of friendship, temptation and reconciliation. The disarmingly sweet, simple language in this whimsical children's picture book belies an emotional depth that allows the author to reach out to both the young, and the young at heart. This stunning picture book is transformed into a gently touching grown-up story by the use of sophisticated allegorical elements, such as the heart as love or friendship and the sapotes as forbidden fruit. Review from Booktopia

I would use this book in the classroom to set up a lesson on Aboriginal Art. This story follows a young Aboriginal boy and is a direct link to Aboriginal history. With the students I would show elements of traditional art and then would instruct that they use theses elements to create a piece of art surrounding one item/object/person they love. It would adhere to typical constraints of Aboriginal art and show themselves engaging with said item/person.