#481 of 1001 · November 24, 2021

Here is Dick Roughsey’s The Rainbow Serpent, a compelling etiological myth. The story opens in the primordial world of Dreamtime, a bare expanse where people dwell without plants or animals. Goorialla, the great Rainbow Serpent, travels here and there, the movements of his body creating mountains, gorges, rivers, and lagoons. He introduces his tribe of humans to sacred dances and ceremonial attire. However, when the giant snake impulsively swallows two boys looking for shelter from the rain, he flees to evade the retribution of the community. The people’s rescue effort and the ensuing conflict reshape the land even further, leading to the order of our modern world. Roughsey, also known by the tribal name Goobalathaldin, brings wonder and beauty to his retelling of an indigenous Australian creation story. #rainbow #snake #creation #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #classicchildrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks