Eat my Dust by Neridah McMullin illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

In 1928, Jean Robertson and Kathleen Howell broke the land speed record when they traveled from Perth to Adelaide 2824km in two days, nine hours and 57 minutes. They broke the record by five hours driving their Italian Lancia Lambda car.

"Intrepid, dynamic, pioneering, Jean and Kathleen broke down gender stereotypes by excelling at driving, discovering Australia by car, and conquering what was considered a male-dominated frontier." (endnotes)

Eat my Dust recreates the journey by these pioneer women. It also explores the bias/sexism of the times - against women.

"I bet you're back by dinnertime,' sniggers the official."

You could build a writing lesson around the power of the word choice here - sniggers.

Later we read this:

"You two are dreamin'. You'll get lost out there in five minutes and I won't be coming to find ya."

On the other hand - you are sure to be cheering when the two women blow a tyre and without a second thought they jump out of the car and quickly execute a repair. And when their car seems to fly through the air.  I love the colloquial Aussie slang too:

"The saltbush is a silver blur as they go like the clappers."

This book is certain to be a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Eve Pownall (non-fiction) notable title and I am sure it will also be shortlisted. Add this book to your library shopping list today and plan to read it to groups of students as soon as it arrives. 

Congratulations to Neridah McMullin for finding, researching and sharing this story. Congratulations to Lucia Masciullo for her fabulous illustrations - you can almost feel the heat and smell the dust. And finally congratulations to Walker Books Australia for publishing this book so children can read this story about the history of our continent. Read some review comments on their webpage. Also congratulations to Walker on teaming Lucia and Neridah together - just a perfect pairing of illustrator and author. Here are some teachers notes and an interview with Lucia Masciullo about this book. 

This is a story of perseverance and resilience, and an important yet relatively unknown part of Australian history. Read Eat My Dust! with your kids, it's a story that deserves to be celebrated.  Kids' Book Review

A great addition to any library ... Reading Time

With the 2023 CBCA Book Week theme of Read. Grow. Inspire still fresh in our minds, this is another story that allows young readers to meet the pioneers who followed their dreams, inspired others and  made something “abnormal” normal for today’s generations.  The Bottom Shelf

Lucia Mascuillo has a piece of art in our IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece art auction (18th November 2023). 

I have talked about other books by Neridah McMullin:

Drover

Fabish

Evie and Rhino

And I have talked about these books illustrated by Lucia Masciullo:

Go Home, Cat!

Olive of Groves

The Imagineer

The Hole