The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert

Age range 8 to 13

'Mana was born under a tree. The country she grew up in was wide as the sky, and the sun shone hot for most of the year. In every direction was sand: deep, red, warm sand that showed the footprints of every creature that walked on it...'

Beneath the hot, blue sky, Mana is joined by her brothers, sisters and cousins, as well as her many mothers and her favourite dogs. With wonderful wit, Mana recounts hunting, gathering, kinship, obligations and the never-ending search for water, all told through the eyes of a young girl.

The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert is the charming account of the life of Mana, a young Walmajarri girl, and her family in the desert country of north-west Australia. Mona's semi-autobiographical narrative is set before European settlement impacted their lives.

Complementing each story are cultural insights that enhance the understanding of desert life, and makes for compelling reading for all ages.

The acclaimed Gooniyandi (Fitzroy River) artist Mervyn Street's black and white illustrations capture the subtleties of the Walmajarri way of life.