The Girl Who Loves Trees

Written by Nancy Cooper

Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-673-7

32 pp.

Ages 5–8

September 2026 

 

A visit to her grandfather on the reserve becomes a special time of traditional teachings and ecological learning for a young girl in Nancy Cooper's second picture book, this time illustrated by Hawlii Pichette. 

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

Their day begins with an offering of tobacco and a prayer of gratitude to the Creator. When they make plans for the day, including collecting an offering of cedar for a community feast, the child has questions about the trees. Loving everything about trees, from their leaves to their bark and their branches, the child wants to ensure the trees will not be hurt.

"...will show the Tree Spirit and the Creator that we are thankful for the gifts the cedar brings us and that we recognize the sacred relationship and responsibilities we have for one another." (pg. 13)

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

As  they walk a trail deep in the forest, Grampa shares his knowledge of the traditional uses of pine needles, of birch bark, of hemlock, and more. His granddaughter shows rapt attention for his teaching, learning family history while asking many questions. She is respectful and observant and understands more beyond just what she sees.

The Girl Who Loves Trees is a story of a special intergenerational relationship because it is based in an Indigenous culture and with an ecological basis. Though her debut picture book Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome (illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, Owlkids, 2023) also has a basis in the natural world, The Girl Who Loves Trees speaks more to the traditional teachings of her grandfather—who was inspired by Albert Dumont—and their relationship with the environment, rather than lessons in character education. Here Nancy Cooper emphasizes the relationships between grandfather and granddaughter, between trees and humans, between all living things, and with their Indigenous culture. It's a story that reminds that we are all interconnected and need to be cognizant and respectful of that interconnectedness.

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

Hawlii Pichette, whose illustrations I enjoyed in Benjamin's Thunderstorm (Melanie Florence, Kids Can Press, 2023) and Benjamin Grows a Garden (Melanie Florence, Kids Can Press, 2025), is a Mushkego Cree urban mixed-blood artist whose artwork is deeply influenced by her culture. Her artwork is bold and vivid, strongly outlined as in the Woodland tradition. But her stylized depiction of trees, both coniferous and deciduous, were most compelling. They have a dynamism that speaks to the life they have and that they give. Hawlii Pichette demonstrates this same spirit in the grass, in the waters, and in her characters.

 

As a woman who loves trees, I appreciate Nancy Cooper and Hawlii Pichette's story for the arboreal elements of the natural world which have always spoken to me. For young children, it will remind them to be observant and respectful as they discover these same wonders. They may not be fortunate enough to have a grandparent of Indigenous heritage from which to gain knowledge, but, with The Girl Who Loves Trees, they will have a literary source to help them learn more.

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome

Written by Nancy Cooper

Illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Owlkids Books

 978-1-77147-515-0

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

March 2023

 

It may be a reunion of beavers, but Amik's little sister Nishiime is a little anxious. What should she expect from all these beavers coming from far and wide?

From Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper, illus. by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

From the East and the far West, from the North and the South, Amik's cousins arrive and are welcomed. They bring gifts from their regions, whether a woven headband or berries in a basket, all generous and all received with gratitude. But Nishiime is nowhere to be found.

From Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper, illus. by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

As the beavers go looking for Nishiime, Amik asks the deer, fish, fox, and otters if they've seen her. Though none have seen her, they all acknowledge the help that the beavers' activities have fortuitously provided them. Whether it's being able to reach the leaves of felled trees, or channels to swim in, a bridge to cross, or feeding in shallow waters created by dams, all the animals are appreciative.

From Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper, illus. by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

It's not until the cousins are preparing to head home that Nishiime comes out of hiding, revealing the reason for her apprehension, and recognizing it as unfounded.

Using beavers to tell her tale, Nancy Cooper reminds us that, though we might come from different places and have different families, we are more alike than we might expect. Nishiime almost misses out on meeting her beaver cousins because of her fears; fortunately, she finally recognizes that though they might wear different markings, jewelry, and clothes, and all have different names–Amik is Anishinaabe, Amisk is Cree, Gopit is Mi'kmaq, Amicos is Algonquin, Kigiaq is Inuktitut, Qowut is Ayajuthum and Tsyennìto is Kanyen-kéha Mohawk–they are all beavers. Moreover, Amik and her family have been making everyone feel welcome, including the different species of animals. In a story about diversity and acceptance of differences, Nancy Cooper also reminds us of the interrelationship of living things. The message of connectedness and acceptance may be subtle and very organic, but it is convincing. 

 

The Woodland illustrations of Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, an Ojibwe artist, take us into that woodland to see these stylized animals in lush beaver habitats of land and water. From forests of birch and poplar, to dammed waters below striking sunsets of orange and turquoise, the artwork of Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, whose earlier book Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know made an enormous splash with its Woodland style, brings an appreciation of the natural world of the beaver and other animals. Still, Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley always reminds us with small details like beaded bracelets, a Mi'kmaq peaked cap or a medicine pouch that this is a story based in Indigenous cultures and its teachings are even more profound because of its heritage.

 

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome is a fresh picture book in language (a glossary of Anishinaabe and other words is included) and art, and its messages about acceptance and gratitude will make it a welcome addition to any bookshelf.