Sorry Day
By Coral Vass and Dub Leffler
There was a hum of excitement. Flags flickered in the breeze as Maggie’s heart danced with delight. ‘This is a very special day!’ her mother said.
Maggie holds tight to her mother as they await the long anticipated apology to show a willingness to reconcile the past for future generations. In the excitement of the crowd Maggie loses touch of her mother’s hand and is lost.
In a time ‘long ago and not so long ago’ children were taken from their parents, their ‘sorrow echoing across the land’. As the Prime Minister’s speech unfolds Maggie is reunited with her mother. But the faces and memories of the stolen generation are all around them. Two stories entwine in this captivating retelling of the momentous day when the then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, acknowledged the sorrows of past and said ‘Sorry’ to the generation of children who were taken from their homes.
The book includes a foreword from Lee Joachim; Chair of Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative and Director of Research and Development for Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation.
“Launched on National Sorry Day, Coral Vass and Dub Leffler have created such a powerful book, told through parallel stories set at different time periods but connected through event, emotion, impact, powerful word choice, use of colour and visual symbolism.
Mostly, I think the power of this story is that it has been created by a team of Australians with different backgrounds and experiences, which I think epitomises true Reconciliation. The story is perfectly pitched at children to help them understand the impact of national policies on individuals and communities, and recognise the significance and importance of National Sorry Day.” - My Little Bookcase
