Fair Skin Black Fella

'We all brothers and sisters in this life, no matter what colour we are,' says Old Ned. This is the story of Mary, a young Aboriginal girl who lives on a red and dusty cattle station. Shunned by the other girls because of her fair skin, Old Ned, one of the community elders, finally speaks up. With words full of knowledge and wisdom, he teaches the girls that Aboriginal identity transcends skin colour and that family, community, country, culture and spirituality is what being Aboriginal is really about. Renee Fogorty shows that prejudice has no boundaries and that it occurs within and between cultural groups.Her personal perspective makes Fair Skin Black Fella a tale of universal experience that many young readers will identify with. Renee's contemporary artwork is both whimsical and streetwise, and her colourful characters will appeal to readers of all ages.

Teachers' notes available here