Going for oysters
Record details
- ISBN: 0807529788
-
Physical Description:
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
print - Publisher: Morton Grove, Ill. : A. Whitman, 1994.
Content descriptions
Summary, etc.: | An Australian aborigine family spends the weekend fishing and looking for oysters and they almost forget their grandfather's warning about the dangers of the eastern swamp. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Aboriginal Australians Fiction Fishing Fiction Family life Australia Fiction Australia Fiction |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Bibliomation. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Bridgeport Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burroughs-Saden Main - Bridgeport | xjj ADAMS (Text) | 34000070284427 | Closed Stacks Juvenile Fiction | Available | - |
The Horn Book Review
Going for Oysters
The Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
This slice-of-life piece about an Australian aboriginal family's camping trip hints at tension when the children hear the ground rumble and fear they have disturbed Yaatamay, the Carpet Snake, but does not supply enough context for readers unfamiliar with aboriginal beliefs. Vibrant illustrations evoke a strong sense of the characters and landscape, which is missing in the rather quiet text. Glos. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
Going for Oysters
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Adams, who lived and worked in an Australian Aboriginal community, here offers a slight tale about an extended Aboriginal family's weekend camping trip to Love River. Though he chooses to stay home, wise Grandad warns the tale's narrator to avoid ``the story place of Yaatamay, the Carpet Snake.'' Traveling in two boats, the group lands on a beach, where they set up camp and cast nets to catch fish. The tale's young narrator explains that ``Mum had already made tea and some johnnycakes, so we had a good feed.'' After collecting oysters, which cling to the roots of mangroves, the family feasts once again. Playing in a dinghy, the children have a scare when they get too close to the legendary spot Grandad had cautioned them about. Although the book opens with a brief glossary of Australian words, youngsters may still be puzzled by some of the terms used: the narrator refers to her ``big cousin-sister''; and Grandad puts ``underarm smell'' on a baby so that ``the spirits of the Old People will recognize you and keep you safe.'' Yet Adams succeeds--through her childlike narrative and stylized, batik-like paintings--in portraying an intriguing culture that will be new to most readers. Ages 7-10. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Going for Oysters
Kirkus Reviews
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
An affectionate picture of Australia's aboriginal people on a traditional outing. Adams, an award-winning author-illustrator who lived for years in an aboriginal community, describes a weekend at ``Thuukal'' on the Love River, ``Grandad's country.'' Grandad isn't coming, but he warns of particular dangers-- quicksand, and ``the story place of Yaatamay, the Carpet Snake.'' The extended family travels by boat; the children share in the fishing, oyster gathering, and cooking, and enjoy swimming and the local wildlife. They also hear a frightening noise like thunder--Yaatamay? Adam's art, layered, evanescent earth tones outlined in white, is richly evocative and truly lovely. An authentic glimpse of a culture and setting unfamiliar to most young Americans. To include a glossary. (Picture book. 5-10)
School Library Journal Review
Going for Oysters
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
K-Gr 3-A beautifully illustrated import that depicts a slice of Australian Aboriginal life with a folk legend woven in. The narrator relates how she and her family sail to an island to gather oysters, crabs, and fish. The people are drawn in rich brown colors, with aborginal features. Adams gives a sense of the activity of the village, with its contant ebb and flow. Children run and play, young men sit about drinking beverages, women cook food in open-air cook pots, and dogs sit about waiting for food to fall their way. The text is well paced and lively, and conveys a great deal about life in the outback.-Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.