Our Dance

By Jacinta Daniher, Taylor Hampton & Janelle Burger

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Taylor Hampton, a Ngiyampaa/Wiradjun man has a passion for educating young people about Aboriginal culture and has teamed up with Jacinta Daniher, an early childhood educator and Janelle Burger, a Noongar and Italian illustrator to create a celebration of Australian animals through rhyme and vibrant artwork.

Our Dance is influenced by Jacinta and Taylor’s two children, Ella and Arlo, who inspired them to create a picture book that reflects their culture and experiences as young Aboriginal children growing up in Australia today.

‘Under the moon, by the big gum tree,

Let’s dance and sing in the corroboree.

With ochre on our bodies, our dance awaits,

Our mob, Our culture, let’s celebrate.’

Readers are encouraged to slither like a snake, jump like a kangaroo and creep and crawl like a goanna, imitate an emu and more. The rich colours on the pages  reflect the many tones of the Australian landscape.

This is one way to get children moving and at the same time impart some knowledge of iconic Australian habitat and animals. Teachers looking for indigenous material for early childhood may find this useful for their collection.

Teacher’s Resources

Lothian Children’s Books 2025

Janelle Burger