Bigismob Jigiwan Dog

Mandeitaim aibin wok la main anti kemp en yu sabi wanim aibin luk?

So begins this Kriol edition of the bestselling cheeky book set in a remote Indigenous community, romping through numbers, colours and days of the week to the hilarious finale.

Bigismob Jigiwan Dog is a collaborative effort between Meigim Kriol Strongbala and the creators of the original Too Many Cheeky Dogs. The hardcover picture book has faithfully translated the original English text into Kriol and provides additional pages including the English translation as well as key information on Kriol. Online support materials including audio, translation notes and teacher’s guide are also available. As well as a lot of fun, Bigismob Jigiwan Dog is an important step in putting quality Kriol books into the hands of Kriol speakers while also giving wider audiences a window into a truly Australian language and way of life.

Bonus resources:

• Check out the awesome animated book reading by Marlene Andrews of Ngukurr, produced by Northern Territory Music School for their “Rising Star” early years program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S8dAFM7OTk
• Read along with Shania Miller’s audio reading on our Soundcloud channel: https://soundcloud.com/meigimkriolstrongbala/bigismob-jigiwan-dog-read-by-shania-miller

Author bios:

Dion Beasley lives in Tennant Creek and is well known across the Territory as the artist behind the much loved T-shirt brand, Cheeky Dogs. Dion’s formal art career started in 2006 when the first Cheeky Dogs T- shirt line was launched. Since then, his reputation as an accomplished visual artist has grown from strength to strength. His collaborations with Johanna Bell include Too Many Cheeky Dogs, the CBCA Book of the Year Go Home Cheeky Animals and Dion’s 2019 illustrated memoir, Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash and Back. Dion’s talents are particularly remarkable given he has muscular dystrophy and is profoundly deaf.

Johanna Bell lives in Darwin with her partner, daughter and a backyard full of green tree frogs. Her writing career got off to a bumpy start when she was so busy composing a story in her head that she accidentally drove into the back of a taxi. It was while driving on a bumpy stretch of road outside Alice Springs that the beginnings of the Cheeky Dog books, took shape. Working with Dion has changed the way Johanna sees the world and tells stories. Johanna creative endeavours are multifaceted, also including the live storytelling project SPUN: True Stories told in the Territory and the top-rated podcast Bird’s Eye View.

Meigim Kriol Strongbala is a Kriol education and resourcing program based in Ngukurr in South-east Arnhem Land. Part of Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation, the program supports and delivers Kriol education programs including school programs, adult education, resource development and translation services. The program jumped at the idea of translating Too Many Cheeky Dogs into Kriol because the story reflects many aspects of the lives of Kriol speakers in such a fun way.