Children’s book by chef Jamie Oliver is withdrawn after criticism from Indigenous Australians

LONDON (AP) — A children’s book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians. The Guardian newspaper reported Saturday that the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation blasted “Billy And The Epic Escape” for employing a series of tropes about Indigenous Australians, including their relationships with the natural and spiritual worlds. The group criticized one of the subplots of the fantasy novel, which tells the story of an Indigenous girl living in foster care, for contributing to the “erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences.” Following the criticism, Oliver apologized “wholeheartedly.”