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The Two-hearted Numbat by Ambelin and Ezekial Kwaymullina

Numbat has two hearts—one made of feathers, and one of stone. When he’s wearing his feather heart, he’s soft, kind and likeable—but exhausted from helping others.

The Two-hearted Numbat (Ambelin and Ezekial Kwaymullina, Fremantle Press, $26.95 hb, ISBN 9781921361234, August) ****

Numbat has two hearts—one made of feathers, and one of stone. When he’s wearing his feather heart, he’s soft, kind and likeable—but exhausted from helping others. When he uses his stone heart, he’s strong, hard-working and clever, but not very nice. Feeling conflicted and divided, Numbat sets out on a journey to discover his true heart. Encountering many challenges, he realises he needs both strength and gentleness, and finally, his two hearts merge into one. This beautiful picture book is written and illustrated by indigenous lawyer/author Ambelin Kwaymullina (Crow and the Waterhole) along with her brother Ezekial Kwaymullina. The illustrations are a vibrant modern rainbow of hot pinks, deep blues and jungle greens, while the drawings make broad references to indigenous art—spirals, bird’s eye views of the landscape, and magical auras surrounding the animals. The traditional method of ‘x-ray’ painting is used to great effect in depicting Numbat’s heart, visible inside his body. The Two-hearted Numbat is a stunning combination of visuals and narrative; and of the modern and the traditional. Elegant, simple and profound, it will appeal especially to pre-schoolers, but older readers of all ages will find something here to ponder and enjoy.

Rochelle Siemienowicz is a Melbourne writer and reviewer