Australia to Z (Armin Greder, A&U)

Alphabet books have provided insight into our priorities for many years, and Armin Greder’s certainly captures an Australia that will strike a chord with many. His word choices combine more obvious iconic symbols with others that provide a subversive narrative. The tone is set when A is for Aborigine (a lone figure stands on a headland as a tiny ship approaches) and B is for Boat People (a small boat heaving with dark figures). Going forward, C is for Calories (a fat woman sips a milkshake) and J is for Jerry Can, with an illustration of a lone car on a long road bringing to mind the country’s vast spaces. The more obvious word-choices (F for Footy, L for Lamington) are broken up with surprises that show Australia’s darker side (P for Pokies) and mundane preoccupations (I for Ikea). Greder’s arresting charcoal expressionist style is put to great use: the footy players are brawny, and the normally trusty kangaroo is pictured bounding past a front windscreen with tell-tale anguished eyes in the wing mirror before it inevitably becomes roadkill. The faces of the pokies addicts are mesmerised, and best of all is the grotesque portrait for R: Rupert (Murdoch). As in The Island, Greder’s message is clear—Australia has a lot to offer and needs to confront its history and current greed, to stop leaning on old cultural institutions and symbols and false narratives about the place being full. This is a striking and antagonistic alphabet book for adults as well as students from upper primary into high school.

Emily Gale is a children’s book and YA specialist  

Category: Reviews