Aunty Joy Murphy, an elder and storyteller of the Aboriginal Wurundjeri people of Australia's Yarra (Birrarung) River Valley, introduces readers to the traditional welcome ceremony of her people in this lovely picture-book. The words of welcome themselves are presented in both Woiwurrung and English - "Wominjeka Wurundjeri balluk yearman koondee bik. Welcome to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people" - and the narrative then proceeds to describe some of the traditional Wurundjeri beliefs about their place in the world, and how they should live. Mention is made of their creator spirit, Bunjil the eagle, and his role in making the world. The book comes full circle by the end, reiterating the welcome expressed at the beginning...

Published in 2016 in Australia as Welcome to Country, and here in the United States in 2018 as Welcome to Country: A Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony, this was the debut picture-book of Aunty Joy Murphy, and was followed in 2019 by Birrarung Wilam: A Story from Aboriginal Australia. I happened to read that subsequent book first, and finding it so lovely, decided to track down this earlier title. I'm certainly glad that I did, as I found the narrative here fascinating, and the accompanying artwork from Lisa Kennedy - an illustrator of Aboriginal Trawlwoolway descent, who also worked with Murphy on Birrarung Wilam - absolutely lovely. If I had any criticism to make of the book, it would be that I think it should have been fully bilingual, rather than confining the Woiwurrung text to the beginning and end of the book. As I mentioned in my review of Birrarung Wilam, I find the few Woiwurrung words I have learned thus far lovely - I really enjoy the sound of them! - and would appreciate the inclusion of even more. That said, this was still an engaging, lovely look at an Aboriginal people most likely unfamiliar to most American audiences. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy learning about new places and peoples, or who are seeking authentic stories from an Aboriginal Australian perspective. ( )