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Stand Proud (Nicho Hynes with Marlee Silva, illus Blak Douglas, Puffin)

Stand Proud is a picture book that shares one man’s powerful story of self-discovery during childhood. Wiradjuri author and rugby league star Nicho Hynes tells his story with the help of Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman Marlee Silva (My Tidda, My Sister). Nicho is a boy who knows a few things: everyone calls him Nicho instead of Nicholas, he loves rugby league, and he’s Aboriginal. But understanding what it means to be Aboriginal is something he’s still figuring out because his mum was taken from her family, and people don’t believe Nicho when he says he’s Aboriginal. When he sees his friend Bruce practising a traditional dance covered in white ochre at their school’s Harmony Day, Nicho is curious and eager to learn, and that’s when he feels ‘a light ignite inside him’. Stand Proud highlights the importance of understanding and embracing your heritage and the powerful impact community can have on one’s life. Archibald-winning artist Blak Douglas’s bold and colourful illustrations capture the excitement of rugby league and the beauty of First Nations cultural practices as Nicho learns to be a ‘loud, proud blackfella’. Celebrating cultural heritage and self-acceptance, Stand Proud is a personal and special book for readers aged 5+ and is perfect for classrooms.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Nominated for Bookseller of the Year (2023), Emma Pei Yin is a freelance writer and reviewer. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

 

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews