Australian Children's Classics
2 total works
Beautifully illustrated by Desmond Digby, here is a new edition of Australia's most famous song. Beautifully illustrated children's paperback by much loved Australian Poet A.B Paterson . through a light lyrical verse, comes to life the story of a swagman who steals a sheep or 'jumbuck', and his ensuing police chase. Desmond Digby's painterly style of illustration with rustic colours, and a rugged looking swagman encapsulate the poet's Australian bush perfectly. the song was a collaboration between Christina MacPherson, who was responsible for the earliest version of the music, and Banjo Paterson, who wrote the words in 1895. As widely read today as it was 100 years ago, this is a must for all Australian children. Ages 4+
A beautifully illustrated edition of an iconic Australian classic. One of the most famous poems in Australian literature, 'The Man from Snowy River' was first published in the Bulletin in 1890. The poem famously tells the story of a chase to recapture a valuable colt, which involved riding down a steep slope to rescue the horse before the reward money was collected and the rider became a local hero. The poem was written at a time when there was a groundswell of sentiment towards Australia as a new and distinct nation apart from the British Empire, and the bush settings and characters in poems by Paterson and Henry Lawson served to emphasise the growing 'difference' in national identity. Several films, a television series and a musical have been made based on the story, proof of its enduring power to captivate Australians to this day. Ages: 5+