Kirli Saunders & Freya Blackwood's "Afloat" teachers' review

Brief description and distinctive features

Brief description of Afloat

Afloat uses the practice of weaving as an effective metaphor for representing the traditional cultural practices of First Nations which in turn both honours and acknowledges the importance of First Nations wisdom and understanding of Caring for Country. In the story an Elder guides a child along a waterway which flows from the natural landscape to urban, industrial areas. Walking together is both a shared experience and one to symbolise the importance of unity. Weaving is also used to symbolise collaborative experiences to encourage Peoples to work together for their common goals and aspirations and ultimately to build our capacity to not just survive, but to thrive.

Distinctive features of Afloat

• A valuable text for positioning students to understand the concept of Representation and the deliberate and purposeful nature of combining words and images. 
• Kirli Saunders is a First Nations writer who skilfully conveys connections between Culture and identity and Connecting to Country
• Reinforces the power of Storytelling as a First Nations experience and culture
• The combination of written text and images enable students to engage with the ways texts contain layers of meaning
• All parts of the text combine to create the story 
• The Endpapers are a visual representation of the art of weaving which is symbolic of the text’s key ideas of weaving stories to connect with each other about important issues
• The detailed illustrations reward close observation
• Short, simple, powerful sentences
• At the end of the book are two personal recounts by each of the composers and both reflections amplify the key ideas and provide background to the composition and the meaning the text has for each creator
• Note the comments by both creators of the relevance and resonance of the “weaving” metaphor which unites First Nations across time and place and this plea for understanding different cultures and their connection and the importance of collaboration in how we can look after the planet and each other.

Ways to use Afloat in the classroom

Afloat has a place in a range of teaching and learning experiences. One of the delights of picture books is that they are rich in meaning but can be explored quite quickly and Stage 4 students can build their capacity to understand subtlety, richness and the power of combining written text and images.

Afloat could be part of a Representation focus which explores a range of texts which represent different perspectives on the world around us with a specific focus on the environment and on collaboration for future community efficacy. It could also be one of numerous texts which celebrate the power of Storytelling in First Nations culture and it would also suit a focus on the role and place of picture books to explore significant ideas and perspectives about people and communities. 

The future of our planet is certainly a concern of adolescents, so it is important that the English classroom is a place to explore their concerns.

Mission Australia annually surveys young people about what matters to them. The 2025 survey is soon to be released but in 2024, Mission Australia surveyed 17,480 young people to learn about the issues that concern them most. 27% identified climate change and the environment as one of the most important issues in Australia.

This comment from Sharon Callister, Mission Australia CEO provides validation for such classroom exploration:

“The insights from our annual Youth Survey remain crucial for young people, their parents, educators, policymakers, community services and everyone who support them. By listening to their voices and addressing the issues they raise, we can work together to build a more inclusive and supportive Australia to grow up and thrive in.”

The survey also revealed that connecting with others can often be a barrier to well-being so texts like Afloat, which promote collaborative experiences, highlight the positives of interacting with each other, groups and communities. 

You would not need to have a full class set as small groups could explore one copy between them. Students need to be encouraged that re-reading and revisiting a text is rewarded. 

Initial responses

• What strikes you most about the key ideas and messages of Afloat?
• What do you think the title Afloat refers to? What are the wider meanings of the word ‘afloat’?

Now read with the class the two reflections at the back of the book.

Kirli Saunders’s reflections add important details for the reader including that “the text pays homage to cultural and plant knowledge handed down by our Elders. It honours women especially.” In addition, “Afloat is written with the knowledge that connection to our homelands, our Country, is paramount to our identity.”

Weaving is invariably a communal activity, so Kirli Saunders has been able to authentically link “weaving” to collaborating and indeed, yarning and talking. She plays with words when she says “Weaving is also a vehicle to yarn”- her play on words emphasises both to use yarn to weave and to talk.

We need to be mindful about making assumptions about our students’ knowledge about a range of topics including traditional crafts. (I recently had some HSC students misunderstand a graphic in their Trial HSC because they had no experience of knitting and knitting needles). It may be necessary to provide some background about weaving and what it involves. Freya Blackwood explains in her back cover reflection that:

“Gathering weaving references from all over the globe, I noticed similar patterns across different cultures … in carpets, baskets, clothes. Weaving really is an ancient practice that is very much part of every human’s life.”

Return to the text and re-read.

Possible student observations on the text 

• The narrative opens in the natural landscape with an older woman and younger person walking along the river.
• The action of walking together becomes a sustained metaphor for unity and learning together; the purpose of the walk is to add more steps to the process of weaving. This experience of weaving is common to many Indigenous cultures where weaving was the method by which they could create objects like mats, fishing baskets, decorative objects and huts in which to shelter. Traditionally, weaving involved using natural fibres from the area around them like grasses, bark, plant stems and roots.

• Freya Blackwood’s images evoke harmony within the natural world with soft blue-green shades and animals watching from the edge of the river. Both characters seem at ease in the river and the older woman is gentle in her guidance of the young boy who has started the process of collecting reeds for the weaving.

    “Roam the water with me
    We are here to learn.”

• Two lines of written text will become the pattern and Kirli Saunders uses the plural second person as her narrative choice. Her words take on the imperative mood which in some texts can be a forceful command but in Afloat the tone is inclusive as the speaker unites the characters and in turn, the reader in the task. Also note the use of the verb “roam” which has a gentler modality than for example, “walk” or “travel”.

  What does “roam suggest”? The last word- “learn” will become a key idea of sharing First Nations wisdom and knowledge.

• As they walk, they collect the fibres for weaving and now the urban development is emerging on the outskirts of the river. The digger is orange which highlights its role in changing the landscape. Kirli Saunders words emphasise that this is not just an activity to weave the artefact but to “spin wisdom, to grow.” The play on words of “spin” will recur later when the weaving is linked to “yarn”- which is both the material used and the importance of talking and sharing stories.
• The group increases and soon includes different families who are all involved in the search for vines.

• Soon the landscape becomes entirely urbanised and industrialised suggesting that finding the natural fibres is going to be more challenging but they are necessary to weaving. There are tiny patches of the grasses at the edge of the river and the building digger remains a salient feature through its distinctive colour. Kirli Saunders’s deliberate choice of the verb “fuse” reinforces the concept of blending the fibres to create the artefact:

    “Here to find the rushes,
    To fuse the fibres.”

• The stringybark tree becomes a symbol of the survival and resilience of the natural world and it is the meeting place for the group to gather- note that the group is now much larger.

• The people become the key image and their presence is now the most salient. They are all working together to both learn how to weave but also to talk with each other:

    “To roll between finger and thumb.
    To yarn.”

• The older woman takes control of the weaving process and directs her people to:

    “Take the string with me,
    We are here to know and loop.”

• The point of view created by Freya Blackwood is like an overhead shot looking down at the hands of the people all involved in different aspects of weaving and the collaborative experience is then reinforced that they are there not just to make their raft but

    “to form bonds, to make ties.”

• The narrative is drawing to a close when we will delight in the finished project and Kirli Saunders’ words reinforce the importance of this collaborative activity:

    “To weld oneness
    To unite.”

• The group is now ready to reveal to us, the reader, the finished weaving project of the raft in the shape of the whale which has now become a symbol of resilience and growth: “to brave the storm.”

• The next double page does not include any of the industrial landscape but only the whales and the weavers who are “to survive.” The dominance of the blue palette and First Nations cross-hatching are a delight. 
• The final pages are a positive affirmation of the old woman who has inspired the people to work together and now she implores them (and we, the reader) to 
          “Stand up next to me. 
          We are here to fly, 
          Here to shape this world together.”

But it is the final page which captures the true message of this special picture book- it is not enough to survive- humanity must “thrive.”

Why does Kirli Saunders choose the word “thrive” and not, for example, “grow”, “live” or “nurture”?

In groups write another two sentences which would be suitable to add before the last two double pages. Echo the same structure and narrative voice as used by Kirli Saunders.

Share the sentences around the class and decide on which two would most authentically fit the narrative and why.

Using reviews

Here are three reviews for Afloat.

Form small groups and choose one of these reviews and respond to it in terms of how the quotation from the review captures the main idea of the text.

‘Hope is the ultimate takeaway from this moving story about community, First Nations wisdom and climate change.’ The Guardian

‘[Afloat] delves into themes of creating a future of balance and community with the natural world, while a slow, rhythmic tone and loose-lined illustrations emphasize saving what’s most important’ Publishers Weekly, starred review 

‘Saunders (Gunai) uses weaving as a metaphor for community-building, demonstrating that Indigenous knowledge can be a source of connection and power as we work toward creating a better world. Blackwood’s art underscores hope and opportunities to help cultivate the land.’ Kirkus Reviews
 

Tasks

1. In her reflection Freya Blackwood includes some insightful comments about the importance of research to our composing:

“As research, I followed the creek that runs by my house, which flows under a road via a concrete drain that disappears beneath the city centre before reappearing flanked by electric substations, industrial sites and rubbish.”

(a) Write your own imaginative piece of about 500 words which explores your own landscape. Include a visual for example, a photograph, a pen and ink drawing, a watercolour or oil representation. 
Before you start writing be sure to do some research which could include actually walking in the landscape, using google maps or seeking information from Trove at the NSW State Library.

(b) After you complete your final draft write about 300 words on what research you used and how you translated that research to concrete detail. 

2. Write to one of the large environmental movements like WWF and Greenpeace to persuade them about the important role of literature to grow awareness and understanding about the key issues of the future especially the sustainability of our planet and the sustainability of people. 

In your persuasive text make close references to Afloat as a text which covers both types of sustainability. Reference two other texts which explore sustainability of the environment and/or people or both; for example, another picture book, song, speech, poetry, prose fiction.

Below is a list of texts which could be part of the students’ exploration and inclusion in this task:

• Bindi by Kirli Saunders (see Five Senses blog posted on August 25 2023) and also the NSW English Teachers’ Association mETAphor: Issue 3 2024
• The series Through My Eyes Australian Disaster Zones: Tyenna, Mia, Alex and Max. These can be found on the Five Senses blog: 
  • Max by Prue Mason (4th August 2025)
  • Alex by Rosanne Hawke (21st June 2024)
  • Mia by Dianne Wolfer (26th October 2023)
• The powerful picture book The Dream of the Thylacine by Margaret Wild and Ron Books. (see Five Senses blog: 5th August 2024)
• Other pictures books:
  • Cicada Shaun Tan
  • Spark Adam Wallace 
  • Fox Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks
  • Young Dark Emu Bruce Pascoe
  • The Dam David Almond and Levi Pinfold
• Environmental websites like WWF, Greenpeace
• ABS Television series: first episode of Ninagaloo Nyinggulu the 2023 television documentary series written and narrated by Tim Winton.
• Speeches by Greta Thunberg, Severn Suzuki, Tim Winton (Save Ningaloo speech by Tim Winton)
• Students could also read Tim Winton’s Blueback and view the 2023 film (see Five Senses blog July 18 2024)
• Read the backstory from Blueback’s director Robert Connolly and his insights about the impact of films like Blueback
• Share The Golden Mole, a glorious text by Katherine Rundell which is a truly splendid exploration of the wonders of the animal kingdom. See Five Senses blog: 26th August 2024.

Relevant details in relation to the new NSW English 7-10 syllabus

Text requirements: Afloat is a picture book (multimodal text) by an Australian First Nations author and fulfils the requirements to give students experience of a range of types of texts inclusive of short prose, visual, spoken, multimodal and digital texts.
Looking for more classroom texts for Stage 4 students? Browse our Year 7 texts and study guides and Year 8 texts and study guides at Five Senses Education.

Concepts could include Representation • Perspective and Context • Theme.

Relevant NSW English 7-10 Syllabus content

Reading, viewing and listening to texts

A student uses a range of personal, creative and critical strategies to read texts that are complex in their ideas and construction EN4-RVL-01

Reading, viewing and listening skills

• Apply reading pathways to determine form, purpose and meaning

Reading, viewing and listening for meaning

• Explore the main ideas and thematic concerns posed by a text for meaning
• Engage with the ways texts contain layers of meaning, or multiple meanings
• Explain personal responses to characters, situations and issues in texts, recognising the role of written, oral or visual language in influencing these personal responses
• Explain how the use of language forms and features in texts might create multiple meanings
• Using a range of texts, describe how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors convey connections between Culture and identity

Reading for challenge, interest and enjoyment

• Read texts selected to challenge thinking, develop interest and promote enjoyment, to prompt a personal response
• Read a variety of texts that present a range of perspectives and experiences, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and respond in a range of ways, including sustained written responses where appropriate

Reflect 

• Discuss and reflect on the value of reading for personal growth and cultural awareness
• Understand the ways reading helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
• Reflect on how reading promotes a broad and balanced understanding of the world and enables students to explore universal issues
• Reflect on own experiences of reading by sharing what was enjoyed, discussing challenges to strengthen an understanding of the value of reading

Understanding and responding to texts A

A student analyses how meaning is created through the use of and response to language forms, features and structures EN4-URA-01

Representation

• Explore how language and text are acts of representation that range from objective to subjective and may offer layers of literal or implied meanings, and apply this understanding in own texts

Code and convention

• Understand how language forms, features and structures, in a variety of texts, vary according to context, purpose and audience, and demonstrate this understanding through written, spoken, visual and multimodal responses

Connotation, imagery and symbol

• Analyse how figurative language and devices can represent ideas, thoughts and feelings to communicate meaning
• Explain how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors use figurative language and devices to shape meaning

Point of view

• Understand how choice of first, second and third-person voice can establish different relationships between creator and audience, and experiment with changes in point of view in own texts

Narrative

• Understand narrative conventions, such as setting, plot and sub-plot, and how they are used to represent events and personally engage the reader, viewer or listener with ideas and values in texts, and apply this understanding in own texts
• Examine how narratives can depict personal and collective identities, values and experiences

Understanding and responding to texts B

A student examines and explains how texts represent ideas, experiences and values EN4-URB-01

Theme

• Understand how repetition, patterning and language features used within a text communicate ideas about social, personal, ethical and philosophical issues and experiences, and demonstrate this understanding through written, spoken, visual and multimodal responses

Perspective and context

• Understand how perspectives are shaped by language and text
• Consider the influence of cultural context on language

(English K-10 Syllabus 2022 © NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2023) 

Connecting texts