Beautiful new book from Ngaanyatjarra Country celebrates the seasons

My Walk Through The Seasons on Ngaanyatjarra Country is a beautiful new picture book published by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). This story and the illustrations that accompany it are a window into the seasons, landscapes, skies, animals, plants and people of Ngaanyatjarra Country. 

The artwork featured in this book will transport you into Warakurna, a small Community in Western Australia’s Central Desert region, where this book was created.

Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward is a respected Elder of the Warakurna Community and Ngaanyatjarra People of WA who created this book with Ngaanyatjarra Lands School, Sandy Robertson, Sharon Naparulla Burns, and Dr Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis. 

Daisy has been a cultural and Community leader with the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School for many years, a director on the NPY Women’s Council, an advocate against domestic violence, a qualified translator, artist and sought-after storyteller. 

Daisy is passionate about young people learning their culture and language, and advocates strongly for Yarnangu – Aboriginal people  in the Central Desert region of Australia.

In 2025, Daisy and the children from Ngaanyatjarra Lands School hosted ILF Regional Coordinator Sharon Naparulla Burns and Publishing Projects Editor Cindy Manfong in Community, where they worked together to create this colourful book. 

‍My Walk Through The Seasons on Ngaanyatjarra Country follows Daisy’s life growing up on Country with her Elders, parents and Community where she learnt about time passing through the different seasons that would come and go throughout the year. 

As Daisy explains,

‍

This is me. I live on the country my family walked for generations before me. Mum said I was born in Pirriya-Pirriya time, when the sweet flowers were growing …

Every season brings something special. 

Rain, Wind, Fire, Sun. 

My Country changes, but it’s always home.

This book showcases how the seasons in many Aboriginal cultures around this continent don’t celebrate 4 seasons. 

On Ngaanyatjarra Country there are 5 seasons, 

1. Pirrira-Pirriya – September and October,
2. Wiltjanyina/Puyurluru – November and December,
3. Kurli – January through to March,
4. Kamaral – April and May, and 
5. Nyinnga – June to August.

Daisy describes how she grew up throughout the seasons and the changes that Country shows you in each period. 

This book was beautifully illustrated by Daisy alongside Sharon Naparulla Burns, Sandy Robertson, and students from Ngaanyatjarra Land School in Warakurna. The artwork will transport you into Ngaanyatjarra Country through the beautiful colours, seasonal elements such as rain, wind, fire, and sunshine, and showcase the lands, plants, animals and peoples of Daisy’s Country.