Emus A History

*Longlisted for the CBCA 2020 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books* *Winner of the Booksellers' Choice 2020 Children's Book of the Year Award* *Shortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature* *Shortlisted for the ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7-12)* *Shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2020: Children's* Age range 10+. The highly-anticipated junior version of Bruce Pascoe’s multi award-winning book. Bruce Pascoe has collected a swathe of literary awards for Dark Emu and now he has brought together the research and compelling first person accounts in a book for younger readers. Using the accounts of early European explorers, colonists and farmers, Bruce Pascoe compellingly argues for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer label for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. He allows the reader to see Australia as it was before Europeans arrived — a land of cultivated farming areas, productive fisheries, permanent homes, and an understanding of the environment and its natural resources that supported thriving villages across the continent. Young Dark Emu — A Truer History asks young readers to consider a different version of Australia’s history pre-European colonisation. 'Adapted for a younger readership from Pascoe's best-selling Dark Emu, this exquisitely illustrated picture book will transform how we see Australian history. Bruce uses the diaries of early explorers and colonists to show us the Australia where Aboriginal people built houses, dams and wells and farmed the land.' — Fiona Stager, The Courier Mail

The Great Emu War of 1932 is an event one does not expect to hear about when they think of Australia, but they actually declared war on a bird. This actually happened. As a side note I would like to say that this was probably one of the funnest things that I have ever written. Also some of the language used in this book is exaggerated at times, but I trust that you dear reader will know when that occurs.

In 1932 in the wheat country of Western Australia there was a plague of emus. The plague was so great that the Federal Government was convinced to send a squad of soldiers equipped with machine guns mounted on trucks. They were ordered to shoot the emus - a tactic that had been tried before and failed miserably. Still, consistency often prevails while unrequited success weeps quietly in the corner. There is a lot going on - farmers who want to secede from the Commonwealth, a State election and referendum, soldiers more interested in what is under the soil, a commander with questionable mental health, Aboriginal farmhands once again bemused by the white fellas and the usual line up of conspirators, wannabees, politicians and ordinary folks. Oh, and many thousands of emus.There is nothing more interesting or more comical - tragic - or emotional than human beings and when they live in interesting times and collide with great wealth and power, there's a lot to explore.

Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating and storing - behaviors inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient lie. Almost all the evidence comes from the records and diaries of the Australian explorers, impeccable sources.

‘Dark Emu injects a profound authenticity into the conversation about how we Australians understand our continent ... [It is] essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Australia once was, or what it might yet be if we heed the lessons of long and sophisticated human occupation.’ Judges for 2016 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating, and storing — behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient lie. Almost all the evidence in Dark Emu comes from the records and diaries of the Australian explorers, impeccable sources. Bruce’s comments on his book compared to Gammage’s: “ My book is about food production, housing construction and clothing, whereas Gammage was interested in the appearance of the country at contact. [Gammage] doesn’t contest hunter gatherer labels either, whereas that is at the centre of my argument.”

A huge bird with a long neck and big eyes looks up from eating. Then it runs away on its strong legs. Did you just see an ostrich? Or was it an emu? These animals look very similar, but they are different. Read this book to become an expert at telling these look-alikes apart. Learn the fascinating differences between similar animals in the Animal Look-Alikes series—part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!