The amazing true story about a remarkable camel called Tiki from two CBCA award-winning creators, the author of How to Move a Zoo and the illustrator of The Wobbly Bike. Tiki was a desert-born camel and still more than half wild when he met his rider, Jill.
Jill was an accomplished horse rider who had never ridden a camel. Tiki and Jill had entered the Great Australian Camel Race – a three-month trek from the red centre of Australia all the way to the Gold Coast. But Tiki was a tricky camel to ride. He spat on Jill. He bucked. He liked to roll in burrs.
Then one especially tough day among the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert, everything changed. And Tiki and Jill became firm friends. The amazing true story about the bond between a camel called Tiki and his rider, Jill, and the extraordinary endurance race that captured the imagination of Australia.---from the publisher
40 pages 9781761182334 Ages 5-8
Keywords: camels, Australian history, adventure, transportation, animals, friendship, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, new experiences, trying new things, overcoming obstacles, women
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1988. Australia is celebrating its bicentennial of European settlement and wherever you look there are events being held to mark the occasion.
It seemed like there was something new every day, each "bigger and better" than its predecessors, yet, for endurance, nothing quite matched the Great Australian Camel Race which lasted for over three months and covered 3300 kilometres from Uluru to Alice Springs, through southern Queensland towns like Boulia, Longreach, Charleville, Warwick and on to the Gold Coast.
So many events of that year reflected on Australian stories of the previous 200 years, particularly, and this one was a reminder of the contribution of the Afghan cameleers who became the lifeline of the Outback before the coming of the railways and motor transport. Among the 69 starters - official and unofficial - was a young doctor named Jill and a camel called Tiki.
But although Jill could ride horses she had never ridden a camel, and Tiki was a desert-bred, half wild camel who had a mind and a will of his own. Could they ever make it as a team, let alone get to the finish line, particularly when Tiki bolts with Jill's food, water and rifle and leaves her alone and stranded in the Simpson Desert?
And so unfolds this new story that brings to life the journey and the relationship between Jill and Tiki, co-authored by Jill herself, and opening up a whole new Australian story for young readers. Endpapers offer unique photos of the actual event as well as a note from Jill that fills in many of the gaps that a 40-page book can't include, and a short history of the history of camels in Australia to provide even more context. With Craig Smith's artwork bringing the landscape to life and providing the reader with a realistic backdrop that emphasises not just the beauty of the terrain but the challenges different parts of the journey presented, it is a story that will appeal well beyond its recommended audience of those aged 5-9. Could today's young adventurers imagine themselves undertaking such a journey?
For those who want to know more, a reunion organised by the son of the original winner was held in 2024 which sparked several stories and videos now available on the internet including this article and this video.
https://youtu.be/D3w8Xi0yVP0?
Ten years ago, in 2016, the official Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week theme was Australia: Story Country - one of their best, IMO - and this is yet another valuable contribution to this country's rich history and heritage.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
