{"id":5410,"date":"2021-08-29T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T06:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=5410"},"modified":"2021-08-29T09:34:26","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T15:34:26","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-758featuring-johnny-warrkatja-malibirr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=5410","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #758:
Featuring Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n

“Time to play, Little Bird, time to spin across the sky.”<\/em><\/center>
\n
 

\nLittle Bird’s Day<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, arriving in October (Blue Dot Kids Press), comes from author Sally Morgan<\/a><\/strong> and illustrator Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr<\/a><\/strong>. It’s the story of a day in the life of Little Bird \u2014 from the “rising and shining” of the Sun to the arrival of Moon, “glowing and whispering.” Both author and illustrator are Indigenous Australians: Sally belongs to the Palyku people from the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia. Johnny is a Yol\u014bu artist from the Ganalbingu clan in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, and his paintings depict both Ganalbingu songlines<\/a><\/strong> and his mother’s W\u00e4gilak clan stories. <\/p>\n

This is Johnny’s picture book debut; as the winner of the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award in 2017, he was asked to illustrated Sally’s manuscript, and this book \u2014 originally published in Australia in 2019 \u2014 was born. <\/p>\n

The story is told from Little Bird’s perspective \u2014 with some comments in italics from the elements in nature who speak to the creature: “Time to strech, Little Bird, time to sing the world alive,” says Sun. (As the Kirkus<\/em> review<\/a><\/strong> notes, it’s a kind of call-and-response.) Little Bird wakes friends; feels Wind; feasts on flowers; glides with Cloud and “feathery friends”; bathes in Rain; and joins at Dusk “a nightfall roost” to dream of “flying among the stars.” The text is spare and features moments of pleasing alliteration: “I flutter with Rain to wash my fuzzy feathers.” Much like a child would, Little Bird seeks friends, food, shelter, camaraderie. <\/p>\n

The illustrations feature a limited palette of earth tones and a host of animals local to the Arnhem Land region. (The book closes with a can-you-find-them-all challenge.) A note on the book’s final spread gives context to the artwork we see throughout, created using acrylic paints on rag paper<\/a><\/strong>: <\/p>\n

Johnny’s illustrations reflect the distinct style of Yol\u014bu artwork. The color palette is based on the natural pigments of red, yellow, black, and white, and the animals are embellished with cross-hatching, a traditional raark design<\/a><\/strong>. …<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The same note directs readers here<\/a><\/strong> to see how he creates his art. (Here<\/a><\/strong> is his page.) <\/p>\n

Little’s Birds adventures with the earth where he makes his home are mesmerizing. Here are some spreads. (Please note that the colors as you see them below appear slightly different than they do in the book.)
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n

“I warble with Sun to wake the lazy sleepers.”<\/em>
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n
“Here comes Rain, falling and splashing.<\/em>
Time to bathe, Little Bird, time to sparkle with freshness.”
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/em><\/center>
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/em><\/center>
\n
 

\n
\n
 

\n
* * * * * * *<\/center>
\nLITTLE BIRD’S DAY. Original Australian edition text \u00a9 Sally Morgan, 2019. Original Australian edition illustrations \u00a9 Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr, 2019. Original North American edition \u00a9 2021 Blue Dot Publications LLC. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Blue Dot Press, San Francisco.<\/em><\/p>\n

* * * Jules’s Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
<\/center><\/p>\n

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.<\/p>\n

1)<\/strong><\/font> This man<\/a><\/strong> in Tennessee (not far from where I live), whoever he is. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> A long walk with a friend. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> I realize it’s a kind of privilege in and of itself to say, I can’t take the news anymore right now, and I’m going to walk away for a bit<\/em>. But I did that this week. And in turning to music, I rediscovered my love for the music of Crowded House<\/a><\/strong> (not the one-hit wonder most people assume they were), which I listened to over and over in my 20s. They made some excellent albums, and I’d forgotten. So, I’ve been listening to them all week. Here’s their best song (especially lyrically):
\n
 

\n