SUN AND MOON
Author: ELLA NOAH BANCROFT
Illustrator: BRONWYN BANCROFT
SCIS: 5384593
ISBN: 9781760506940
RRP: $24.99
Recommended for: MID PRIMARY

Baribun and Buhwi Bira are brother and sister, but they are total opposites. Baribun is a dreamer, while Buhwi Bira is a warrior.
One day, sick of waiting for his sister to catch up, Buhwi Bira suggests a game of hide-and-seek. But when they start to play, Baribun moves so slowly it's no fun, and brother and sister get into a huge fight with each other. Buhwi starts running in furious circles, not noticing as his sister slowly sinks into the earth beneath him. When Baribun wakes up she is trapped beneath a ring of fire. To save his sister Buhwi must find a way to be still, and to control his energy

STUDY NOTES
? Which elements of Aboriginal culture are familiar to you in the book and which are new?
What parts of the story or the illustrations are unique to Aboriginal culture? Why is it important that we continue to share and create stories like this?
? Do you have a brother or a sister? Do the arguments between Baribun and Buhwi remind you of you and your family? In what ways are you similar and different?
? The book encourages us to explore our differences and to work out when our behaviour is hurting other people, and when we can celebrate unique aspects of our personality. What are some of the differences between Baribun and Buhwi Bira?
o Have you ever been frustrated by someone's differences? How did you work it out? How do Buhwi Bira and Baribun work it out?

? After reading Sun and Moon, answer the following comprehension questions:
o How does Buhwi Bira move through the forest?
o Why does Baribun like to be still?
o What solution does Buhwi Bira come up with so that they can play together?
o What goes wrong with the game?
o What happens to the environment when Buhwi Bira becomes still?
? In this story, the writer brings elements of the sun and moon to life in her characters. In a way, this personifies the sun and the moon.
What does personification mean? Why do writers use this technique in their stories? Use personification techniques to either turn the following words into people, or to give them human characteristics:
o Rain
o Fire
o Wind
o Trees.

? The illustrator, Bronwyn Bancroft is known for her striking, often political, artwork. Her work displays deep connection with her Aboriginal heritage and Bundjalung people, and she shows meaning through her use of bright colours and intricate patterns. How does the illustrator use colour and shape to capture elements of character? (Eg yellow and blue are used to show the differences between Baribun and Buhwi, Buhwi is often drawn in movement-curving or streaking or stretching across the page.)
? In Bundjalung, Baribun means dream', and Buhwi Bira means breathe'
(www.planetcorroboree.com.au/blogs/
culture-country/bundjalung-words.)
How do you see these words reflected in these two characters? Why do you think the writer has chosen these words as their names? Do some research to find out where your name comes from and what it means. Does it suit you?