Bilingual First Nations picture books launched to strengthen online child safety

Two free bilingual picture books have been developed with First Nations communities to help children recognise unsafe online behaviour, protect their personal information and seek help from a trusted adult.

The Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has released the new resources for primary school-aged children in Northern Territory First Nations communities.

The Wise Emu and the Digital Dingo in Paradise and The Wise Brolga and the Digital Dingo in Paradise combine culturally relevant storytelling with practical online safety messages.

Each book is available in English and a First Nations language selected in collaboration with the community for which it was developed.

The Wise Emu, created for communities in the Northern Territory’s Central Region, is presented in Western Aranda, a language with significant cultural and historical importance.

The Wise Brolga reflects the Tiwi Islands and has been translated into Old Tiwi. The decision to use Old Tiwi was intended to strengthen connections with Elders and contribute to language preservation.

Both stories follow a young character named Jarra, who is asked by the Digital Dingo to share personal photographs online.

With help from Mali the platypus and a trusted adult, Jarra learns to recognise the warning signs, refuse the request and seek support.

The books encourage children to speak with a trusted person whenever something online makes them feel uncertain, frightened or uncomfortable. This could include a parent, carer, teacher, educator, Elder or police officer.

The Digital Dingo is a fictional, gender-neutral character representing the potential threats children may encounter online.

AFP Northern Territory Senior Prevention Officer Saisha Gore-Khanna, who wrote both books, selected the dingo after considering how the animal travels across Country and adapts to different environments.

Animal characters were used to introduce a sensitive child safety issue in an accessible and age-appropriate way.

The AFP has clarified that the contemporary fictional characters were developed specifically to deliver online safety messages. They are not intended to represent or draw upon the Dreaming, totemic or ceremonial significance the animals may hold for particular First Nations communities or language groups.

ACCCE Online Child Safety Team Leader Kristy Thomson said the resources needed to be developed with communities if they were to be meaningful and effective.

Community members, Elders, educators, language specialists and children contributed to the project, shaping its translations, cultural references, characters, illustrations and storytelling.

The books were also tested with First Nations children in local schools to ensure the stories and characters resonated with their intended audience.

Local knowledge is reflected throughout the stories, including connections with Country, the wisdom of Elders, family relationships, natural environments and culturally significant stories.

Jarra appears as a kangaroo in the Western Aranda version and as a wallaby in the Tiwi Islands story, reflecting the different locations and environments represented.

The Wise Emu features illustrations layered over photographs of Central Australian landscapes.

It was illustrated by Alice Springs Arrernte woman Becky Myers and translated with support from Western Aranda linguists David and Lily Roennfeldt and Western Arrernte women Maxine Malbunka and Cassandra Stuart.

The Wise Brolga uses watercolour illustrations depicting the plants, animals and natural environment of the Tiwi Islands.

The book was illustrated by Tiwi and Torres Strait Islander artist Demaga Warria and translated by Tiwi Islanders Queenie Babui Rosetta Faraone and Jonus Bernardino Babui.

The participating artists also completed the ACCCE’s ThinkUKnow program, which provides evidence-based online safety education for children, families and professionals.

The books are available in free, full-colour print and digital formats and are accompanied by yarning cards, colouring activities and lesson toolkits.

These supporting resources can help teachers, educators, carers and families introduce online safety through shared reading and continue the conversation through guided discussion and activities.

AFP Commander Human Exploitation Jo Cameron said language provides the foundation for how people understand the world.

Delivering the resources in English and First Nations languages enables communities to engage with online safety messages in the language most appropriate for their children and families.

Although the books are aimed at primary school-aged children, the initiative carries a broader message for educators and services working with younger children: online safety conversations should begin early, use accessible language and reinforce that children will be listened to and supported when they ask for help.

The books were funded through the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse.

Project partners included the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families, Department of Education and Training, Tiwi College and the Association of Independent Schools of the Northern Territory.

The books and accompanying materials can be downloaded from the Wise in Paradise First Nations Online Safety Resources website. Further information is available in the AFP announcement.