Summary

"Warami mittigar. Hello friend.
We welcome you to Darug Country."

Cooee Mittigar, meaning "come here friend", is an invitation to yana (walk), on Darug Country. In this stunning picture book, Darug creators Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson tell a story on Darug Songlines, introducing children and adults alike to Darug Nura (Country) and language.

Greeted by Mulgo, the black swan, readers are welcomed to Nura. Journeying through the seasons, Mulgo describes the land, sky, birds, animals and totems. It is a gentle guide to how Darug people read the seasons, knowing when it is time to hunt and time to rest. It is also an appeal to remember, offering new ways of seeing and reading the lands of the surrounding Sydney region.

With Darug language interspersed with English and an extensive glossary throughout, Cooee Mittigar presents an important tool for learning, told as a tender story with exquisite illustrations. It is Jasmine and Leanne's wish that with this book, everyone will know that the Darug mob are still here and still strong.

• Age range 5 to 12.
• Published in 2019, the year of Indigenous Languages, Cooee Mittigar introduces readers to language in context.
• An exquisite explanation of songlines and introduction to country.

Cooee mittigar. Tread softly on our lands.
Know that this dreaming was here. Is still here.
Will be forever.

About the author & illustrator

Jasmine Seymour is a Darug writer, artist and primary school teacher. She lives with her family on country near the Dyarubbin (Hawkesbury) River in New South Wales. Her first book, Baby Business,
was published in 2019.

Leanne Mulgo Watson is the daughter of Aunty Edna Watson. The are the Darug custodians. It is Jasmine and Leanne’s wish that through their book Cooee Mittigar that everyone will know that the Darug mob are still here and that they are still strong.