The Binna Binna Man

My Girragundji #2

by Meme McDonald, Boori Monty Pryor

Shanell says that the Binna Binna Man is a bogeyman the old people made up to scare the kids. Her cousin is not so sure. He has a spirit guide that keeps him strong when he's in danger, so he knows that there's more to the world that Madonna and McDonalds. But when he has to rescue Shanell by himself, at night, in the dark bush, he really hopes the Binna Binna Man is just a story. A stunning portrait of an Aboriginal family living in two worlds. The simple, direct text and haunting pictures illustrate that remembering where you're from is what keeps you going in the right direction.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Indigenous, Cultural

96 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Freya Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect way to continue the stories Boori has to share ... FINALLY, stories that had the language a lot of kids know and use.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back when my mum was getting me free book hauls, The Binna Binna Man was in that haul. I wasn't going to keep it cause it felt more suited to a primary school age rather than an adult..but it's written by two Australians, and i definitely need more aussie authors in my collection.


I normally hate giving away my books, but I think this may be one where I break my rule and pass it along to a young child or even a street library.

This story follows a young man and his family on their way to a funeral, we learn about the binna binna man and how if you respect him, he'll leave you alone but if you don't, than you'll be dead.

What i love about stories from First Nations people is how much their culture relies heavily on spirits and finding a balance between carrying on their history to future generations, while also giving an insight for us outsiders (white Australians) on what first nations story telling is like.

[Tion W · Rating 1 out of 5]

The language in this book was unclear and hard to undertand, so it was hard to make out what the book was about.

[Ana]

it was an interesting book that was very good sometimes it would be boring and uninteresting but through the whole book it was okay

[Makayla]

it was ok

[Tiani]

I thought that this book was just as deep as 'My Girragundji' by the same authors. Although it is a very simple and easy read, it has a lot of meaning, and we can really learn a lot from this book. I have noticed that the brief, subtle sentences can have true meanings. The book also has many references to real life, including one particularly unsettling one. The book shows how the protagonist has grown from 'My Girraundji', as it is a sequel. We can tell that the boy has gotten over the loss of his frog. Although his frog is no longer with him, its memory, comfort, support, and guidance still remains inside him. We can see that this memory of his frog is keeping him stronger, and stays with himwhen he feels alone. In the end of the book, the protagonist learns that it is very important, no matter what situation you are in, no matter how old you are, you should never forgot who you are and where you belong. Afterwards, the boy feels happier, more connected to his people, and is proud to be himself.

[Amelia]

I found this book very interesting to read. While reading, it sounded so simple but it actually had a lot of meaning behind it. It shows a balanced view of indigenous life which I think is very important. It also talks about topics that many adolescents can relate too. For instance, the protagonist is currently trying to find himself and figure out who he really is while also going through family problems and friendships.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to My Girragundji, this story also contains many elements of Aboriginal culture, but is much darker than the first book, with themes of sorry business and alcohol as well as the exploration of first romantic relationships.

[Stacey Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screw the haters - I enjoyed this book. I was assigned it for Children's Literature class and it was one of the fun books this semester. I loved reading about the culture. The Binna Binna man seems like a cool guy. I found the writing really clear and the voice was strong as well.

[Kelly]

The Binna Binna man is the second book of My Girragundji, both are written by the same author. The book teaches us about the Aboriginal culture and beliefs through the eyes of a young boy. It shows us the connection between the land and the animals to the people.

[DEV0004 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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[Jaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tale.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the book is trying to tell us about the beliefs of Aboriginal culture and their ways of thinking about superstitions.

[Lauren]

It was good but very boring

[Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read and it was a nice story about an aboriginal family who had to go to there cousins funeral and it showed how aboriginal families act when this happens. It also talks about the culture of aboriginal people.

[Melodey Bun · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's incredible how much the authors have stuffed into a work that can't possibly exceed a few thousand words in length. Although the underlying theme is serious, there are some funny moments, such as the description of the family automobile, Shelley Babe, a lime-green Kingswood recovered from the scrap heap and only slightly rusty, and an uncle's practical joke at McDonald's. The language is lovely, the tone is mournful but not accusatory. It exudes enormous dignity.

[Bodhidasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle exploration of what it means to exist between worlds and between loss and joy.

[Debbie Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a bit hard to follow at times. It is the story of a boy who is growing up in an Indigenous community. The community fear the Binna Binna man. The legend says that the "Binna Binna man can heal you and make you good, but if you poke fun at him you die" Shandell faces the Binna Binna man after poking fun at him. The children then learn about the importance of listening to your elders and not to forget where you come from.

[Zachary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this was a pretty bad book. The whole text was informal and the storyline was a bit weird for me. This was not my type of book. But it is a good cultural book and I think that if people want to read cultural books, This is the one to look for.

(No offence to anyone who enjoyed this book a lot)

[Emi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book showed the aboriginal culture through grammar choices, vocabulary and the story line. It was hard for me to understand the book because the grammar was different and hard to understand. The plot was unusually, yet very interesting, I would never have thought the author would write about what she did.

[Phoebe]

I thought this book was hard to follow and quite boring. The sentences were short and plain and some grammar was not correct. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone. It ay be a cultural book, but I did not learn a lot about culture in it at all.

[Alison Kagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough book to read. Aimed at young readers, & written in a style that sounds like the narrator is chatting to you directly. Yes, it's about "growing up", but the young male narrator is growing up in a difficult world. There's death, poverty & alcohol & other drug abuse; but there's also hope.

[Tango Librarian]

The Binna Binna Man, written by Boori Prior and Meme McDonald is a book about a young man and the challenges faced by young Aboriginals. Im not finished yet. I love Booori Prior's work, and he's an interesting man too!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the use of photographs to illustrate the story. I also liked the slang, which was always defined within the text. It's a slight book, but it's great to introduce children, pre-YA, to the Aboriginal culture.

[Mikhail J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book because the language was terrible and it was really hard to understand whats going on.

[Ty Auditore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to say, this is one of the worst books I have ever read. The text is confusing and hard to read and its different to the books I read. On the other hand, it is a good cultural book.

[Sophia P · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book because the vocabulary wasn't very good and the story line wasn't exciting.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

i think that this book did not uses good detail and did not have much happening in the book.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was hard to get into this book and feel for the characters. A glossary of words would have been very useful.