My Girragundji

My daughter Grace first prompted Boori to tell the story of his pet frog.

Boori's childhood stories of his frog and the snake, the hairyman and having seven sisters, the mangroves, footy, and growing up between two worlds, tickled my imagination too.

I began writing these stories down and weaving them together. When Boori visited his mothers homeland, Yarrabah his Uncle Henry Fourmile gave him the Kunggandji word for green tree frog - girragundji. So we called the story My Girragundji

For over a year or so, Boori and I worked together on My Girragundji. Then we took a draft to Boori's family for them to read.Laughter and jokes and yarns enriched the story. A group of Boori's nephews and nieces quickly overcame their shyness of the camera and were happy to take us down to the beach to go fishing with their grandad, Monty. They led us into their favourite mangroves, kicking the footy along paths that Boori remembered walking when he was young.

The story had come home to its beginning. Without the Pryor family this story would not be here for the telling. It is with their approval that we offer it to you and hope that it brings to life how different and how much the same growing up can be.

Cover blurb
"The vivid story of a boy growing up between two worlds. With the little tree frog as a friend, the bullies at school dont seem so big any more. And Girragundgi gives him the courage to face his fears."

Awards
Winner, Book of the Year for Younger Readers, Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards 1999;
Short-listed, Best Children's Book,Queensland Premier's Literary Awards 1999;
Commended, Best Designed Young Adult Book,Australian Publishers Association 1998.

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copyright meme mcdonald 2002