Review: One Word

As the cover states, One Word is ‘a girl’s quest to learn her grandfather’s hidden first language.’ The most important word here is hidden. His language hasn’t been lost of forgotten, it has been hidden. Hidden from those that would punish him. Hidden from those who might separate him from his family and now hidden from his granddaughter.

Melissa-Jane Fogarty has written and illustrated a moving story of Myra who is staying at her grandfathers house. A place that is warm and welcoming and feels like home. One day she overhears her grandfather talking on the phone, in a language she has never heard before.

With one line Melissa articulates the connection that Myra has to this language.

‘Myra imagines Pop’s voice pulling the words from the very depths of the earth.’

With no relationship at all to Indigenous language myself I can still feel the weight and importance of that line of text.

What follows is Myra’s attempt to learn this language from her grandfather. Something that is not as straight forward as it seems. He is reluctant to talk about it and Myra can see him getting more and more agitated the more she pushes. Finally he explains why.

Melissa has included author notes that give a very brief description (I don’t mean that in a negative way, our history cannot possibly be summarised to one page) of some of the treatment that Indigenous Australians have endured over the years. Some may be aware of The Stolen Generation but how many stop to think about the implications of that time in our past, particularly the immense loss of culture and language. Because of fear and trauma so much has vanished forever. As Melissa states only 14 out of 250 Aboriginal and Torris Straight Islander languages are now considered strong.

One Word is the perfect book to introduce children and possibly the grown up’s reading, to this terrible situation. It doesn’t preach or push an agenda it simply uses one example from one family to explain how things are. I think it is a must for any school library or classroom, being the perfect catalyst for the discussion of a multitude of topics.

I will end with what I think is the books most important line of text. This does not come from the story however but from Melissa’s dedication ‘…let yesterday show us the way to a better tomorrow.’

Title: One Word
Author/Illustrator: Melissa-Jane Fogarty
Publisher: Hachette
Publication Date: 7 July 2026
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780734423337
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture book