When Cindy Manfong saw an opportunity to return to her hometown to work on a project with students from her old high school, she jumped at it.
The Jingili, Mudburra and Mangarrayi woman is the Indigenous Literacy Foundation's publishing projects editor.
Travelling to Katherine, she was excited to meet the group of 12- and 13-year-old boys, who had a great idea for a picture book written both in English and Kriol for the younger children in the Northern Territory town.
The cover of Grinch the K'Town Croc, written in English and Kriol by a group of young boys from Katherine, Australia. Credit: PR IMAGE
"Growing up around Katherine you've got to be really 'crocwise' so for them to make this book and turn it into a cute humour book for the kids to read and have a good laugh at, it's really cool."
After workshops with the students, the result was the publication of Grinch det K'Taun Krok! (Grinch the K-Town Croc).
Grinch lurks in the waters of the Katherine River, scaring kids any chance he gets until the locals have had enough and decide to take their revenge.
"We wrote this book to teach other Aboriginal kids about our Community," the students said.
"The book is important to us because we get to read it and look at the drawings.
We want to be role models for the younger generations.
Recently launched in Katherine to overwhelming community support, the work will be featured at Indigenous Literacy Day celebrations in Sydney on Wednesday.
The young authors are heading down for the celebrations at the Opera House, with some of them travelling to the city for the first time.
"We feel nervous, excited and joyful at the same time. It's going to be a long way trip from home" the students said.
The event will also showcase a film, hearing from First Nations people in Katherine, Warakurna in Western Australia and South Australia's Ceduna about how storytelling makes their communities strong.
In remote Warakurna, more than 700 kilometres west of Alice Springs, educator and Elder Daisy Helen Tjupantarri Ward explains the Ngaanyatjarra seasons and how passing down knowledge informs children.
"We educate them, storytelling at night laying them down, telling them stories about the sky, the stars," she said.
"Learning all these things through Tjukurpa (the creation period) and through our stories, when we talk all the things, the behaviour the respect, the safety comes through that."
Indigenous Literacy Foundation's publishing projects editor Cindy Manfong in Sydney. Credit: Corina Zanatta/PR IMAGE
She won't be in Sydney for the event but along with the entire Ngaanyatjarra Lands School community, plans to watch via livestream.
Kamilaroi, Barkindji, Ballardong and Whadjuk host Bianca Hunt says it's important to showcase the stories being told by First Nations people across the country and she is looking forward to meeting the young minds behind Grinch the K'Town Croc.
"I hope the kids feel like they are being heard ... and are just getting really excited to put out their own books," she said.
"It's a really big thing to be published and something we should be celebrating, especially with our Blak authors."
