A young boy has saved his coins and today his package has arrived - glorious shiny new boots:
"Spikes on the bottom boots, my favourite colour boots, making me too deadly."
The people in his community have differing reactions to these bright yellow boots. His sister says the boots make the boy think he is 'high class'. His teacher says the books are not school shoes. His mate offers to swap. The policeman asks where did the boots come from? - he is suspicious. Notice the power imbalance in the powerful illustration on this page.
Coach says the boots are nothing special - just footy boots.
"But they are my run faster than my cousin-brother boots, my kick the best torpedo boots, my healthy lifestyle boots, making me too deadly."
His uncle asks why he needs these boots.
"My walking in two worlds boots, my can't feel the sand in my toes boots, my better leave them in this tree boots, making me too deadly."
I gasped - leave them in a tree. Surely, they will be taken. Yes, when the boy returns to the tree his boots are gone.
Now it is time to listen to the wisdom of his grandfather. The boy does not need the boots to make him a better person. HIs grandfather quietly explains this important life lesson to the young boy.
Now what about those boots. Yes, there is that all important happy ending. And the boy can love his boots but also know he does belong in the world with or without the boots.
The word 'deadly' has a special meaning in this book. Deadly: An Aboriginal English word for ‘fantastic’, ‘great’ or ‘awesome’. It is used in a positive sense as opposed to something negative. This has important implications for Indigenous healthcare and treatment of chronic diseases where a medical practitioner may refer to something as ‘deadly’ meaning harmful. Awareness of this difference in meaning in the Indigenous context is important.
The Macquarie Dictionary says: The word deadly with its current meaning was originally coined in the 1900s. It was then adopted into Aboriginal English in the 1970s and from then into general use. Excellent, fantastic, cool: That movie was deadly! It is also used as an adverb, as in: he sang deadly.
On Saturday 14th October,2023, Australians will vote for or against The Voice Referendum. This is a book that will raise awareness of modern indigenous life especially for young children. It gently highlights some issues for our first peoples - discrimination by police, the importance of elders, differences in extended family structures, the role of education, and life in a remote community.
Read more about the YES vote:
Behind the News part one
Behind the News part two
The cover of Deady Boots is so inviting. It is tactile, colourful and will allow readers to easily understand the meaning of the word ‘deadly’ even before reading the text. The end papers are appealing but I do wish the author/illustrator biographical information had been printed on the final page and not over the top of the end paper image. The back cover is fabulous with all of those contrasting forms of footwear and skin tones. The new boots, nestled in their packaging, is the perfect image for the title page.
The use of colour text throughout the book is a useful reading guide inviting the reader to emphasise each phrase especially when the text, which is rather like a rap song, is read aloud.
There is a strong emotional arc to this story firstly when the police ask about the boots and later when they are taken. I just gasped. The wisdom of the grandfather is the point in the story when all of the hustle and bustle slows down – it is time to pause and think, reflect and learn. Does he really need these boots to feel confident or can he draw on his own inner strength and sense of self? The way the boots are in shadow and look more “ordinary” on the final page is a powerful image.
You can request teachers notes here. These PETAA notes have suggestions for further read. Here are some teachers notes from the publisher.
Companion reads to explore an indigenous perspective:
Carl Merrison is a Jaru man from Halls Creek. Carl works with young Indigenous boys through the Clontarf Academy focusing in improving engagement with education and providing a positive role model. Carl was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2016.
Hakea Hustler was a high school English teacher at Halls Creek District High School. Hakea is committed to Indigenous education with a particular focus on school engagement, English language and story as learning, understanding and empowerment.
Samantha Campbell grew up in the Northern Territory and lives in Darwin. She is descended from the Dagoman people from Katherine and as a child lived in remote communities across the Top End. Her first book, Alfred's War, written by Rachel Bin Salleh, was short-listed for the Premier's Literary Awards and the Speech Pathology Awards. She is currently illustrating her fifth children's book.
Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler previously worked together on this short novel:
Here are some books with a similar theme to Deadly boots - the theme of saving money for something a child desperately wants or needs.
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