Walking Together

Written by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi

Illustrated by Emily Kewageshig

Annick Press

978-1-77321-776-5

36 pp.

Ages 4-7

April 2023

Many will be undertaking Earth Day activities this weekend and next, whether picking up garbage, planting trees or setting up rain barrels. But Earth Day should be every day, as we look out for our planet, for its water, land and air, and its plants and animals. And Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi promote a message of Two-Eyed Seeing in Walking Together so that perhaps we can see the big picture and ensure that caring for our world goes beyond a single day of environmental attention.

From Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi, illus. by Emily Kewageshig

When we walk together in a good way...

...good things happen and that is the message that resonates throughout Walking Together. It's acknowledging the many gifts that Mother Earth shares. It's hearing the stories that come from the ancestors and paying attention to the song of the spring birds and the awakening of plants and animals who have lain seemingly dormant over winter. It's hearing nature as it talks, whether it's the deer or the beaver or the frog or the flowers. The teachings of Elder Albert D. Marshall of the Moose Clan of Eskasoni Mi'Kmaw Nation in Unama'ki-Cape Breton remind us that to see fully means to blend both the Indigenous lessons of the ancestors and the knowledge that comes from non-Indigenous ways. With Two-Eyed Seeing will come respect for the Land and Water, so that it may continue to sustain us.

We take only if there is enough.

We ask before we take

And we listen for the answer.

We share.

From Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi, illus. by Emily Kewageshig

The message that Elder Albert D. Marshall offers with education professor Louise Zimanyi is that Mother Earth offers many gifts but gifts that must be respected, not just received. Walking Together is a thoughtful treatise in being grounded in the lessons of the past with those still to come for greater clarity and compassion. It's keeping both eyes and mind open to hearing and listening what lessons are being shared.

From Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi, illus. by Emily Kewageshig

Those same important messages are conveyed in the Woodland art of Anishnaabe artist Emily Kewageshig who furthers the stories with her illustrations. The boldness of her lines and colours draw readers in to see, to witness, to walk together in landscapes through the seasons. There is a continuity of place and people that comes through Emily Kewageshig's illustrations, drawing from the past and moving to the future. She shows the sense of grounding that comes with connection and the life that comes with respect for Mother Earth.

 

Today, on a day when we celebrate Mother Earth and on every day on which she should be honoured, I recommend taking a walk under the guidance of Elder Albert D. Marshall, Louise Zimanyi and Emily Kewageshig as they remind us how to see best.

🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎

For teachers, there is a downloadable lesson plan at https://www.annickpress.com/content/download/69286/919542/version/1/file/Walking+Together+Lesson+Plan.pdf

The Song That Called Them Home

Written by David A. Robertson

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Tundra Books

978-0-7352-6670-4

52 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2023

 

A day out with their Moshom becomes a supernatural experience when a child must enter the world of the Memekwesewak to rescue her little brother.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

During a trip to the land with their grandfather, Lauren and her little brother James head out in their canoe to fish while Moshom takes a nap. But after stirring up the waters to attract the fish, the waters become violent, and the kids are tossed into the lake.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

When Lauren resurfaces, she sees the Memekwesewak, or Little People, dragging her brother beyond a waterfall. Following, Lauren discovers a portal to their world where the Memekwesewak dance with James around a fire and sing a song to keep him with them. Things worsen when Lauren tries to release him from their supernatural bindings, and she too is ensnared. Only when a song from their own world penetrates and beckons them home do the kids return to their Moshom.

Come back! You've been gone so long!

What places have you found to roam!

Come back! Hear my welcome song!

My beating drum will guide you home!

Governor General's Literary Award-winning author David A. Robertson tells his best stories when he reaches into the stories of his family and people, as he has done here with his father's story of an encounter with the mischievous Memekwesewak. Perhaps that is why the story of The Song That Called Them Home seems so believable. It is rooted in the ordinary, in an outing with a grandfather who takes a nap as the children fish. What happens when they fall in the water, though, is perhaps the stuff of legends and the supernatural. But, as David A. Robertson's "Author's Note About the Memekwesewak" tells us, perhaps this part of the story is just as real. Regardless, this story reminds us that when we're lost, whether to the surreal or the dangerous, there is hope that those who love us will call us home and we will hear them. The threatening voices of the Memekwesewak, or contemporary dangers of risky behaviours and unsafe friendships, may seem unyielding but there are those who would guide us back to safety, as does Moshom with his song and drum.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

That ordinary and extraordinary is conveyed in the art of Maya McKibbin, an Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish-settler artist who illustrated the Governor General nominated Swift Fox All Along. Maya McKibbin's digital art transitions from the calm and comfort of family and the land and water to that of the turmoil of the Memekwesewak's world. They plunge us into the danger and the fears associated with the Little People through their use of line and shape as well as colour, emphasizing the wildness and the uncertainly that comes with the rush of the Memekwesewak, pasty creatures with purplish ink and long pale hair. Still, if you're worried about little ones being frightened, don't be. Maya McKibbin does not play up the fearful elements; instead, they emphasize the bonds of family and connection in Lauren and her brother, and the strains of a drum beat that can "Thum Thump" to draw them home.

 

While a story based in an Indigenous legend of the Little People, The Song That Called Them Home speaks to everyone. I can only hope that everyone will always have a song to call them home and the heart to hear it.

kā-āciwīkicik / The Move

Written by Doris George and Don K. Philpot

Illustrated by Alyssa Koski

Heritage House

978-1-77203-409-7

48 pp.

Ages 4-8

May 2022

The story of kā-āciwīkicik or The Move, a dual-language picture book, begins with an elderly Cree couple looking out from their new house in a rocky barren land, having moved from their old place beside a river close to a lake, land covered with trees, and brush and meadows. As upset as the old woman is in having to leave so much behind, her husband tells her that "There's nothing we can do to change things".  But he's wrong.

 

From kā-āciwīkicik / The Move by Doris George and Don K. Philpot, illus. by Alyssa Koski

Recalling the belief of her grandmother, a diviner, that the spirits would extend help when asked, the old woman first wishes for some trees so that she might have wood to smoke her fish and moose hides. With that, a group of black ash appear and root themselves in the yard. Consequently, the old man gathers some old wood and, in addition to making a smudge, starts a fire for his wife's drying racks.

From kā-āciwīkicik / The Move by Doris George and Don K. Philpot, illus. by Alyssa Koski

When the couple's daughter and two grandchildren come to visit, they reminisce about the old songs, and their activities like making maple sugar candy and weaving baskets from birch bark. With a wish, maple and birch trees then appear, along with spruce, and the elderly couple get to work tapping the trees and boiling sap, as well as cutting strips of bark and gathering roots for baskets. Moreover they can now share with their grandchildren the skills of those springtime activities.

When summer comes and the old woman remembers picking saskatoon berries for bannock and winter storage, she laments how far away they are from the berries now. With a clap of thunder and a heave of the ground, a trail appears and saskatoon berries materialize everywhere. It is finally then that the old woman looks out over their new home and land, and recognizes that, "It's good here."

From kā-āciwīkicik / The Move by Doris George and Don K. Philpot, illus. by Alyssa Koski

Though there are supernatural elements to Doris George and Don K. Philpot's story, it is a story rooted in reality and history. Their "Authors' Note" recalls the building of a dam in northern Manitoba in the early 1960s and the relocation of the Chemawawin Cree Nation from ancestral lands. It's the contrast of the old with the new but also the establishment of a new familiarity that is significant. What the Cree couple leave behind is tradition, family, culture and home. But, they are able to re-establish all, with a little spiritual assistance, to continue providing for themselves and others and build a new life. While the disruption caused by forced relocations is very real, authors Doris George and Don K. Philpot emphasize that the quality of life travels with the couple. With their resilience, they make it work.  

Alyssa Koski of Kainai Nation transitions the couple from the greyness of their stark new land to its promise. She gives us contemplation in the old woman's face, purpose in their activities, and hope in the lushness of the new greenness. By juxtaposing the real with the unreal, Alyssa Koski takes us into Doris George and Don K. Philpot's First Nation experience story of ancestry, upheaval and survival and, with colour and shape, shows us the continuity that inspires and reassures.

Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow

Written by Aimée Craft

Illustrated by Luke Swinson

Annick Press

978-1-77321-496-2

60 pp.

Ages 10+

March 2021

At a size of 17 cm x 12 cm (6.75" x 4.75"), Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow is a small book. But its small size belies the depth of lesson and sharing about relationships with the land and water that Indigenous Peoples have and what a treaty really means.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

A girl and her Mishomis (grandfather) sit by the kitchi sipi (great river), where he'd lived all his life, on the land, in the bush and on the river. Though she'd grown up in the city, she has always considered the land home. This is where he'd taught her to listen to the land and remind her of her responsibilities to it and the water and to their stories.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

He tells her of the original treaty, with their grandfather sun and grandmother moon working with mother, the earth, to create life. The agreement to work together, known as aagooiidiwim for the Anishinaabe, is the basis for collaborations with all nations, whether deer, human or other, to ensure respect and find solutions to always honour the treaty.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

We were given the ability to learn from our relatives on this earth about their treaty relationships and through what we call natural law, or earth's law. (pg. 50)

As I read Aimée Craft's words, I wanted to make sure that I fully respected their profound meaning, evocative of culture and history, and ever enduring. An Anishinaabe-Métis lawyer and professor from Treaty 1 in Manitoba, Aimée Craft crafts her words from a place of understanding, both of people and place and time, taking the lessons from her elders and seeing their place in making treaties then and now. The magnitude of treaty words is never in question.

This is why the Treaty is for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the river flows. (pg. 23)

The reverence of Treaty Words: For As Long As Rivers Flow comes through in Aimée Craft's words, resonant and weighty, steadfast and dynamic. Luke Swinson, an Anishinaabe illustrator who is a member of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, could have attempted to match that weightiness with complex and detailed artwork but he chose better. His lines create the necessary movement, from and to place and time, to carry the same messages. Digitally created to reflect and honour the natural environment of water, land and sky, Luke Swinson takes us to the place in which treaties were and are made and demand awe and deference. 

Don't let the small size of Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow mislead you into believing this book is anything but very, very big and important. Its lessons that relationships are the basis for making treaties are everything and should help us all understand how to ensure those relationships are sound, fair and lasting.

The Case of the Burgled Bundle (A Mighty Muskrats Mystery, Book 3)

Written by Michael Hutchinson

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-166-4

208 pp.

Ages 9-12

April 2021

The four cousins from the Windy Lake First Nations, who were first introduced in The Case of Windy Lake which was Michael Hutchinson's award-winning entry in Second Story Press's 2018 Indigenous Writing Contest, are back to solve a mystery at the National Assembly of Cree Peoples.

The week-long event begins with the handover ceremony during which the kids' grandfather, the head of the Windy Lake Elders Committee, receives the pipe from the Elder from last year's host, Butterfly Narrows. But this auspicious event does not go to plan when the ceremony is held under cover of Butterfly Narrows's teepee, excluding the majority of event participants, and Grandpa makes a joke that annoys their Elder Eugene Lone Man. 

The lands of Butterfly Narrows have taught them to hold tightly to what they have, to protect what they haven't yet lost. (pg. 19)

Grandpa is ever respectful and circumspect about this slight and invites Elder Leon Shining Deer and Mrs. Shining Deer a.k.a Aunt Dee as Bundle Holders to share the bundle for Treaty 12 and the stories that are linked with it in hopes of easing tensions. Following the protocols associated with the bundle, Elder Leon conducts a welcoming ceremony to which all are welcome. But, though the bundle is guarded all night long in the Butterfly Narrows teepee, it disappears. Worried that his own misstep of toppling the Elders' pipes accidentally during the meal may have damaged the ceremony, Otter and his three cousins, Chickadee and brothers Atim and Samuel, help their Uncle Levi of the RCMP to investigate.

Though The Case of the Burgled Bundle is a great middle-grade mystery with a host of suspects and red herrings to confuse the young investigators, it's the lessons about treaties, treaty bundles, ceremony and customs that gives the story its unique perspective and opportunities for learning. Michael Hutchinson, a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation, has not just told a story about a stolen item. He has taken us to an assembly of Cree Nations, each different in their histories, their needs and their expectations.

"Grandpa says, you are the land you live on. And the Cree people are spread across some pretty different landscapes." (pg. 8)

There is an appreciation for the differences between First Nations and the treaties they made (Treaty 12 is a fictional treaty), including how they were made and the responsibilities involved with them. Though the components of the bundle are never revealed in detail, its presentation provides the memories of its creation and the importance of guarding it and the stories for all time. With that and a culprit not easily deduced by the reader–the Mighty Muskrats are far more savvy than this reader–The Case of the Burgled Bundle has given us a whodunit rich in relevant Indigenous lessons of history, culture and people.

• • • • • • •

 

The Mighty Muskrats Mystery Series

The Case of Windy Lake (2019)

The Case of the Missing Auntie (2020)

The Case of the Burgled Bundle (2021)

Second Story Press Indigenous Writing Contest

Publisher Second Story Press is holding its third annual contest for unpublished works for young people by Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) writers who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

 

Previous winners include:

 

Jodie Callaghan for The Train

 and

Michael Hutchinson for The Mighty Muskrats Mystery series

 

Here are most of the details you'll need to submit a manuscript:

 

What?  

• A previously unpublished, original manuscript of fiction or non-fiction which cannot be under consideration for publication by another publisher.        

• Submission must be written for young readers ages 5 to 18.          

• The jury will be particularly looking for stories with an urban setting. (Not looking for stories that rhyme or stories with anthropomorphized animals.)

• Send the complete manuscript but, if submitting a picture book manuscript, illustrations need not be provided.

• Submissions must be in English, or provide an English translation.

 

 

Who?

• Writers must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents, 18 years of age or older and living in Canada. (Unfortunately, due to contest regulations, residents of Quebec are excluded.)

 

 

When?

• Submitted digitally (email or Google form) or postmarked by May 14, 2021.

(Deadline was previously April 16 before it was extended.)

• Winner will be announced on  June 24, 2021.

How to submit?

• Copy of manuscript by post with entry form (link here) to 

Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401
Toronto, ON, M5V 2M5
Attn: Indigenous Writing Contest

or

• By email to contest@secondstorypress.ca with entry form (link here)

or

• By Google form (link here)

Prize?

• A publishing contract from Second Story Press

 

 

Selection?

By jury of Jodie Callaghan, Nancy Cooper and Margie Wolfe

Details about this year's contest are posted at www.secondstorypress.ca/indigenous-contest

 

Good luck!

Hello Humpback! and One Eagle Soaring

Hello Humpback!

Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-799-2
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
2017

One Eagle Soaring

Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-828-9
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
2018

After my last review in which I applauded the recently published Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue, the third book in the A First West Coast Book series by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, I thought it imperative that I give some attention to the first two books. Published in 2017 and 2018 respectively, Hello Humpback! and One Eagle Soaring focus on their own concepts–these are concept books after all–but still with a Pacific Northwest flavour and honouring First Nations.

From Hello Humpback!, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

Hello Humpback! celebrates a variety of West Coast features in Robert Budd's subtle rhyme and Roy Henry Vickers's illustrations. From animals such as the humpback whale, the salmon, the raven and a myriad of sea creatures such as the steelhead, ratfish and sea urchin, to plant life but also the land and the water, Hello Humpback! is a salute to the Pacific Northwest.

From Hello Humpback!, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

Counting in One Eagle Soaring also becomes an homage to the wildlife of the British Columbia coast. In rhyming text, children can count one eagle, two moose, three orcas, four bees, five sea lions, six bears, seven swans, eight robins, nine frogs, and ten owls. But the text is far more sophisticated, emphasizing the actions undertaken by the wildlife and the development of vocabulary with words like pollinate, wander and serenade.

From One Eagle Soaring, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

Robert Budd's text is as fluid as Roy Henry Vickers's art. One puts forth important ideas in understated rhyme and the other conveys it in rich colours and line that embed readers in a West Coast state of mind and heart. The effect is heartfelt but informative, with the stunning artwork both calming and still emotionally charged, incorporating both the traditional and the contemporary to full effect.

I urge all parents, grandparents and teachers of the very young to share the West Coast environs through Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd's trio of board books. There will be  learning about animals, numbers, colours and more but the discussions about place will teach even more.

Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue

Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers

Text by Robert Budd

Harbour Publishing

978-1-55017-870-8

20 pp.

Ages 2-6

May 2019

By their very nature, concept books i.e. those that teach concepts such as letters, numbers and colours must be simple in order for very young children to grasp the concept being highlighted. By simple, I mean straightforward and transparent, though some concept books embrace the idea of simplicity by being meagre and plain. Not Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue.  It may focus on presenting a basic palette to children but it proclaims its artistry in a brilliance of sophistication and heritage.

The colours of silver, blue, yellow, purple, red, orange, grey, black, white and green are clearly identified in each illustration but they are so much more than "just" a colour. They are part of the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Its flora and fauna, its mountains and ocean, and its seasons become part of the art. From the "sockeye silver" of the adult salmon at sea, glorious under a silver moon, to the blue of the saltchuck waters flowing into a river and the yellow of the spring salmonberries, Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue becomes a journey of place and seasons. Young readers will spot the purple sea stars resting on a rock, the red of the sunset, the sandhill cranes flying across an orange sky, and the whales in the grey mist of heavy rains. There are ravens black and a white ptarmigan in the snow, and the finale spread of "green lights aglow on a wintry night."

From Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers, words by Robert Budd

 

The words are those of Robert Budd, accomplished author and champion of British Columbia's stories and history. They are concise but impactful, and any child living far from the BC coast will want to visit.

But the art makes Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue the masterpiece it is. There is movement and richness in the colours, and the spot-gloss art is significant and memorable. Sometimes the glossy entity is bold and unmistakable, as in the black of the raven or the wolves howling beneath the northern lights. Other times, however, it almost can only be discerned by touch such as the thunderbird against the white snow or the totem poles hugging the coast of the saltchuck.

Roy Henry Vickers is a multi-talented Tsimshian artist who has excelled at printmaking, carving, music and leadership. His accomplishments have earned him many honours and even more accolades at home in British Columbia and around the world. With his gorgeous prints providing the art for Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue, this concept book is elevated from teaching tool to showpiece.

From Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers, words by Robert Budd

 ••••••••••••••••••

Look for my next post which will highlight the earlier two books in this series, Hello Humpback! and One Eagle Soaring.

First West Coast Books

The Spirit Trackers

Written by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Illustrated by François Thisdale

Fifth House Publishers

978-1-92708-311-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

November 2017

It's been far too long since the CanLit world has welcomed a book from Jan Bourdeau Waboose, a First Nation Anishinaabe of the Ojibway Bear Clan of northern Ontario.  Adding to her stunning collection of picture books which includes SkySisters, Morning on the Lake and Firedancers, Jan Bourdeau Waboose's telling tale of Ojibway traditions and the relationship between children and their uncle is breathtakingly illustrated by François Thisdale, award-winning artist of The Stamp Collector, Missing Nimâmâ, and French Toast.  The Spirit Trackers is a magnificent story in words and art, melding together First Nations and an intergenerational relationship with legends and spirits and the wonder of children.

Illustration by François Thisdale 

used in The Spirit Trackers by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Two cousins are awed by the stories told by their uncle of their clan, the Moose Clan, and their heritage of extraordinary trackers but it's the story of the Windigo that truly captures their attention.  His story of the Wandering Night Spirit of Winter is a warning to the boys. 

"Watch out for the Windigo on a winter night.  It has a heart of ice, and its teeth are like steel.  It will eat anything in its way!" 

"Even the best Trackers disappear in Windigo's footsteps."

In the night, the boys are awakened by a Thump! Bang! and, upon seeing a black shadow cross the window, are convinced the Windigo has visited their uncle's house.  The next day, however, evidence in the snow and on a tree compel the two to put their tracking skills to work.  But far from the house, hearing a sad cry that "slices the air like a trapper's knife" the two are immobilized with terror.  It may not be the Windigo but the boys demonstrate the aptitude in tracking and their reverence for the natural world, especially for an animal they know to honour.

Jan Bourdeau Waboose infuses her atmospheric text with the companionship of family and an appreciation for traditions and legends of First Nations. Because of that, an occasion of storytelling becomes more; it becomes a lesson in caution and curiosity and heritage. Tom and Will are apt students at their Uncle's knee, listening, hearing and learning.  Resplendent in snow, the frigid medium of trackers, The Spirit Trackers is an appropriate visual and textual read for the winter season.  Artist François Thisdale makes sure that his illustrations transport readers to that frosty season and to a life of snowshoes, moosehide clothing, and ravens.  Combining photographs, drawings and paint with digital imagery, François Thisdale lends a supernatural essence to the story, perfect for a pair of boys already spooked by their disquietude about the Windigo but determined to follow the path of their tracker ancestors into the unknown winter stillness shattered by a haunting cry.

Illustration by François Thisdale 

used in The Spirit Trackers by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Whether you believe in the Windigo is irrelevant.  The boys believe, as does their Uncle, and in the stillness and cold of winter, it's a story, like The Spirit Trackers, that has much to teach.

❅❅❅❅❅❅

The illustrations included in this review are derived from illustrator François Thisdale's Facebook page at Thisdale illustration.

Coyote Tales

Written by Thomas King

Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-833-4

60 pp.

Ages 6-9

October 2017

If anyone ever believes that the storytelling tradition of First Nations has disappeared, they need only read aloud the Coyote stories of Thomas King.  Undoubtedly told better in his own booming voice, these Coyote Tales are told with the mischief and wisdom to impart awe and lessons aplenty.

Coyote Tales is actually two previously published Coyote stories by Thomas King.  The first, Coyote Sings to the Moon (originally published in 1999), has that trickster Coyote interrupting the nightly song by Old Woman and the animals praising the Moon.  When Coyote offers to join them, they deny him a voice, knowing how poorly he sings.  Chastized, Coyote leaves in a huff, criticizing the Moon for its disturbing brightness.  Moon, not to take criticism, plunges itself into a pond to enjoy a game of chess with Sunfish.  While Old Woman and the animals search for Moon, Coyote struggles in the darkness, using a skunk as a pillow and falling off a cliff.  But clever Old Woman uses Coyote's horrible singing to force Moon to flee the pond and fating Coyote to a nightly song to keeps Moon from returning to the pond and a life of leisure.

The second story is Coyote's New Suit (originally published in 2004), a charming tale of vanity and envy.  Coyote is perfectly content with his suit of gold, toasty brown until Raven's comments convince Coyote to steal Bear's suit left on a pond's shore. When Bear returns to find his suit missing, Raven tells him that the humans hang clothes they no longer need on ropes and encourages him to help himself.  Coyote continues to steal the suits of Porcupine, Raccoon, Beaver and more animals who, in turn, help themselves to the human clothes hanging on the clothes line.  All orchestrated by Raven, the shenanigans come to a head when Coyote holds a yard sale to clean out his closet and humans and animals alike come in search of new suits.

From Coyote Tales 

by Thomas King 

illus. by Byron Eggenschwiler

Thomas King's Coyote Tales recognizes the traditional Coyote stories of First Nations, taking readers to "a long time ago, before animals stopped talking to human beings" (pg. 11) when lessons were learned at the antics of a mischievous and oft humiliated Coyote and the clever playfulness of Raven and the natural world was honoured and celebrated. The legends are told here as comical allegory but are rich in lessons and advice.

Groundwood Books is doing something very clever in opening up previously published picture books to new audiences.  By re-releasing them as very short anthologies, perhaps only two or three stories, with new and fewer illustrations (here by Calgarian Byron Eggenschwiler), they are capturing the early reader and middle grade reader who might not want to be seen reading "babyish" picture books.  Margaret Atwood's A Trio of Tolerable Tales (Groundwood, 2017) was such a collection and I'm hoping that there are more in the offering from Groundwood, especially for Thomas King who still has more Coyote tales to share.

Nathan

Written by Susan Ouriou

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-547-9

152 pp.

Ages 7-12

October 2016

Bullies come in all sizes and ages.  Some are in the past and some in the present but their impact is as damaging as any trauma that can make you feel like you don’t belong or that you are not safe.  In her first middle grade book, Susan Ouriou, best known for her translations (including Pieces of Me; Jane, the Fox and Me; This Side of the Sky), tackles the heavy issue of bullying from different perspectives: a  school bully tormenting young Nathan, the historical trauma of residential schools as experienced by Nathan’s grandfather’s mother, and even the assault of Altzheimer’s on the human spirit.  All are brutal and relentless but there is reconciliation.

It’s summer, and the family is starting to move Grampa from his own home to live with them, and it’s making everyone tense.  Mom acts annoyed and can be downright rude to her father.  Dad just thinks Grampa should go straight into a nursing home.  Grampa isn’t always sure what’s going on but seems resigned to accept it.  And Nathan would do anything to keep his Grampa  as the impressive giant of a man he always was.  Grampa is especially sympathetic when Nathan, who is being bullied by a boy named Adam, is repeatedly accosted by the boy while enjoying outdoors play with a new friend Max.

“…no good could come of digging up the past.  All that counted was remembering we come from survivors.  We’re tough.” (pg. 25)

Grampa takes Nathan and Max (and Nathan’s Mom, who knows Grampa should not be driving) to  the museum at the Tsuut´ina Nation to meet Elder Estella who teaches about the impact of European settlement on First Nations.  Nathan learns his great-Gramma had been First Nations and had had to survive living at a residential school, where kids were bullied by adults and didn’t have their parents around to protect them.  

The school year begins and a vicious assault by Adam on Nathan and Max leaves Nathan psychologically impacted and unable to walk and Max moving to another school.  As constant companions, Grampa, whose Alzheimer’s is worsening, and Nathan become the supports they need to survive their personal ordeals and grow stronger because of them.

Though the title suggests a book all about Nathan, it goes far beyond the young boy’s story, being a middle-grade novel dense with emotion and conflict and drama, of family and trauma and First Nations and bullies and history. Susan Ouriou whose interpretation experiences include Edmonton’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as The Banff Centre’s Indigenous Writers Program weaves the past, in terms of the residential schools and the Holocaust of WWII, with the present, and family with community.  Through her characters and the story, she shows us that there were and are many who are “some kind of strong and some kind of brave” (pg. 83) and that includes Nathan whose compassion lets him see Adam beyond a tormentor and Grampa who must live through his own torment while still looking to help others.  Nathan is a story of resilience and courage that bridges generations and offers understanding and even some degree of assurance.

Young Adult Stratford Writers Festival: May 6, 2017 (Stratford, ON)

On Saturday, May 6, 2017

presents

the Young Adult Stratford Writers Festival

an amazing gathering of Authors of YA and middle grade books

who will present writing workshops 

and participate in various discussion panels

Schedule

10 -11 a.m.: Young Adult Writing Workshop with author Marthe Jocelyn

11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.: Relationship Drama Panel Discussion with Danielle Younge-Ullman, Deb Loughead, Susan Marshall, and Marthe Jocelyn

1- 2 p.m.: Magnificent Middle Grade Panel Discussion with Sylvia McNicoll, R. J. Anderson, and Marthe Jocelyn

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Sword, Sorcery, and Star Wars Panel Discussion with Lesley Livingston, E. K. Johnston, and R. J. Anderson

4 - 5 p.m.: Self Publishing Workshop

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.: First Nations Panel with James Bartleman and Rick Revelle

7 - 9 p.m.: Canadian Change Conversation Showcase

Locations

Events are held at the Stratford Public Library, Knox Presbyterian Church and the Stratford Perth Museum.  

Tickets

While some events are free, others require tickets.
Full day passes (adult and students rates) are definitely the better deal but tickets can be purchased for single events as well.
Details and ticket information are available at DigiWriting at http://digiwriting.com/stratford-writers-festival-young-adult-2017/

Honouring Aboriginal ways: Cultural competence with diverse youngCanLit

This is the final booklist that I have compiled as part of my presentation at the Ontario Library Association's Superconference in Toronto recently all with the aim of helping individuals, schools and other institutions become culturally competent.

Today's post will focus on...

Akilak’s Adventure
by Deborah Kigjugalik Webster
Illus. by Charlene Chua
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2016
Inuit, family, travel, tundra
Review here

Coyote’s New Suit
by Thomas King
Illus. by Johnny Wales
Key Porter
40 pp.
Ages 5-8
2004
Trickster, self-acceptance

The Diamond Willow Walking Stick
by Leah Marie Dorion
Michif translation by Norman Fleury
Gabriel Dumont Institute
48 pp.
Ages 8-12
2012
Métis, generosity, Michif, dual-language

Dragonfly Kites/Pimithaagansa
by Tomson Highway
Illus. by Julie Flett
Fifth House Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 4+
2016
Cree, Northern Manitoba, summer, play
Review here

Fishing with Grandma
by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula
Illus. by Charlene Chua
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2016
Inuit, fishing, grandmothers, Arctic
Review here

Games of Survival: Traditional Inuit Games for Elementary Students
by Johnny Issaluk
Inhabit Media
60 pp.
Ages 7+
2012
Inuit, Arctic, games, skills, survival
Review here

Grandmother Ptarmigan
by Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz
Illus. by Qin Leng
Inhabit Media
24 pp.
Ages 0-4
2013
Origin story, Inuit
Review here

The Hill
by Karen Bass
Pajama Press
256 pp.
Ages 12+
2016
Cree, survival, legends, supernatural beliefs, tolerance
Review here

I Am Not a Number
by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
Illus. by Gillian Newland
Second Story Press
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2016
Non-fiction, residential schools, First Nations
Review here

Looks Like Daylight
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
256 pp.
Ages 12+
2013
Abuse, residential schools, ostracism
Review here

Mingan My Village
Poems by Innu schoolchildren
Illus. by Rogé
Fifth House
42 pp.
Ages 7-11
2014
Innu, Mingan Indian Reserve, Quebec

Nokum is My Teacher
by David Bouchard
Art by Allen Sapp
Red Deer Press
32 pp.
All ages
2015
Cree, CD, questions, dual-language, grandmothers

Not My Girl
by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
Illus. by Gabrielle Grimard
Annick Press
36 pp.
Ages 6-9
2014
Inuit, residential school, family, language
Review here

The Owl and the Lemming
by Roselynn Akulukjuk
Illus. by Amanda Sandland
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2016
Owls, lemming, predator-prey
Review here

P’ésk’a and the First Salmon Ceremony
by Scott Ritchie
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2015
Sts’ailes, salmon, ceremony

The Sharing Circle
by Theresa Meuse
Illus. by Arthur Stevens
Nimbus Publishing
52 pp.
Ages 8-13
2003
First Nations, Mi’kmaq

Shi-Shi-Etko
by Nicola I. Campbell
Illus. by Kim La Fave
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2005
Residential school

Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox
by Danielle Daniel
Groundwood Books
36 pp.
Ages 4-7
2015
Anishinaabe, totem animals
Review here

Sweetest Kulu
by Celina Kalluk
Illus. by Alexandria Neonakis
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 0-4
2014
Babies, Inuit, animals, Arctic, lullaby
Review here

Downloadable booklist available here