Told in English and Gija, this is Shirley Purdie's life story, depicted alongside her stunning paintings. In My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe, Shirley shares vignettes of her life growing up on Mabel Downs station, and her Gija Culture, Country and Dreaming.  She explains her Dreaming is Echidna Dreaming and she teaches us about bush fruit and hunting.  She also shares the story of her working life, as a maid in the homestead on Mabel Downs station, and later in life as an artist, and how her mum taught her how to paint her Country. 
Shirley Purdie is a famous Australian artist who lives in Warmun community, in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. This is her first children’s picture book. When asked about what it means to share her story with children, Shirley said “good to put it in painting, your Country, so kids can know and understand. When the old people die, young people can read the stories from the paintings. They can learn from the paintings and maybe they want to start painting too.”  
This is the first book in the Kimberley Art Centre Series. The series focuses on developing the skills of Kimberley Aboriginal artists in children’s picture book storytelling and illustration. Shirley is well-known for her painting richly textured ochre and charcoal.