Bigismob Jigiwan Dog (Too Many Cheeky Dogs)

Too Many Cheeky Dogs - Kriol Edition — *Bigismob Jigiwan Dog* – the Kriol edition of *Too Many Cheeky Dogs* is out June 2

Not many books from the Territory become as popular and loved as the 2013 picture book Too Many Cheeky Dogs. It became an instant hit combining the vibrant, adorable art of Dion Beasley with a story that Johanna Bell worked on with him that reflects regional and remote life of Aboriginal Australia in a lively and fun way. Since Too Many Cheeky Dogs, Dion and Johanna have co-created a brilliant series including Go Home, Cheeky Animals (2016) and 2019’s Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash And Back. With help from us here at Meigim Kriol Strongbala the Cheeky Dogs are now in Kriol too!

Bigismob Jigiwan Dog is a Kriol version of Too Many Cheeky Dogs, released on June 2, 2020. The translation has been carefully crafted with Dion Beasley even re-working illustrations so that the signs in the shop are now in Kriol too! The book is hardcover (perfect for grabby kid hands) and supporting materials are available including audio (to help readers follow and read-along), a pronunciation guide (to help Kriol learners to read along) and teacher’s notes suitable for Kriol-speaking and English-speaking students alike (to help Bigismob Jigiwan Dog become a valuable part of children’s education). The book is available for in bookstores and direct from Meigim Kriol Strongbala’s new online store.

Bigismob Jigiwan Dog has been created with different audiences in mind. A key audience for us here at Meigim Kriol Strongbala is Kriol speakers themselves. Many communities and schools are full of Kriol speakers, but not many books in Kriol are available for those students and families – especially books as fun to read as Bigismob Jigiwan Dog! With the release of this book, we aim to bring a joy of books and reading to Kriol speakers, help Kriol speakers better engage with education and learning, become literate in Kriol and also feel proud of their language.

For readers of Bigismob Jigiwan Dog who don’t speak Kriol (yet!) the book is a wonderful window into a language and way of life that is truly Australian. In the Northern Territory, Kriol is the second most widely spoken language after English yet not many Australians know about it. Our extra resources will be a great assistance to these readers: