Our Ancestors' Kitchen

Written by Willie Poll

Illustrated by Shaikara David 

Annick Press

978-1-77321-962-2

36 pp.

Ages 4-7

April 2025 

 

Our ancestors teach us that there are memories in our meals.

There is magic in our cooking.

There is culture in our food.

 

So begins Willie Poll's story of a child learning at the stove of her grandma. With each dish comes a story and an invitation to witness how their ancestors lived and her own memories of her Grandpa and her community.

From Our Ancestors' Kitchen, written by Willie Poll, illustrated by Shaikara David

First they cook the minoomin (wild rice) and the girl begins to see a different scene within the kitchen. She can smell the water in which the wild rice grows, and she can hear the frogs, and see her ancestors on the water harvesting the rice. 

From Our Ancestors' Kitchen, written by Willie Poll, illustrated by Shaikara David

Next, Grandma is cooking meat, and the child sees the kitchen transformed with the colours of fall and animals stocking food for winter, and she remembers hunting with her Grandpa. That meat brings memories of finding mooz (moose) with their moose calls, and the tradition of giving thanks with prayer and asemaa (tobacco) after the mooz's "spirit danced into the sky." As important is the sharing of the meat with their Elders so that they might also care for their community. Their cooking together continues with maple syrup (zhiiwaagamizigan) and sunchokes (ashkibwaa) and blueberries, each bringing memories of time with her Grandpa and with the lives of their ancestors. And when the family and friends gather to eat, their ancestors join them.

From Our Ancestors' Kitchen, written by Willie Poll, illustrated by Shaikara David

Willie Poll, a Métis writer from Sault Ste. Marie and now of Prince Edward Island, reminds us of the importance of food to culture and to connecting us with those who came before us. Whether we learned to cook the foods from their hands or how to harvest the ingredients from age-old practices, those culinary experiences are almost bred in the bone. And when connected to our ancestors, the experiences are almost spiritual, as this child recognizes in the richness of the memories and the awareness of her heritage. With each ingredient and dish, she is transported to places she has been and to people she may have never met. But still the sensory experiences of those foods have become a part of her, to share with others now and forever.

 

Shaikara David, an Indigenous Mohawk from Akwesáhsne, uses her double-spread illustrations to bridge the contemporary with the past seamlessly. On a single spread, the child and her grandmother cook in a modern kitchen which transitions to an outdoor setting of trees and water and include Woodland-style artwork on blue backgrounds for animals and more. (See the rabbit, fox, squirrel and birds in the illustration below.) Shaikara David creates an organic connection between the present and the past almost effortlessly but still with some whimsy like the presence of the water rising beneath the kitchen table upon which a frog sits.

From Our Ancestors' Kitchen, written by Willie Poll, illustrated by Shaikara David

Many of us know that connection with our heritage and our ancestors through food but Willie Poll and Shaikara David help us to see the one that comes through an intergenerational relationship and into a culture with which most of us are unfamiliar. Moreover, in her author's note, Willie Poll wants readers to think about Indigenous Peoples and their connection with the land, as well as other cultures and their connection to food and the land. It's a relationship that is borne from acknowledgement and appreciation, enduring generations even as things change around us.

Misadventures in Ghosthunting

Written by Melissa Yue

HarperCollins

978-1-4434-7091-9

367 pp.

Ages 8-12

Releases August 27, 2024

 

Life had done nothing to prepare me for what to do if a ghost was trying to burn your house down. Even worse, I'd got no advice on what to do if your entire family didn't believe you could see ghosts but Grandma snuck you protective talismans like it was a black market dealing. (p. 19)

Emma Wong thought her greatest worry was the D she got on her Grade 9 math exam. But when a ghost of a young man shows up, calling her Lin Wai–her Chinese name is actually Yan Ling–and threatening to expose her exam if she didn't go with him, things get a little dicey. When she doesn't, Ghost Boy uses a calligraphy brush to write something in the air and starts a fire on the family's ancestral altar. She tells her family about the ghost-like boy but, for a family who doesn't believe in ghosts, she gets no support. Fortunately, best friend Michelle Zhang knows that Emma can see ghosts and wants to help. 

 

It's also fortunate–or is it?–that Emma meets Leon, a boy in a long peacoat with a messenger bag who claims to be a guardian whose job it is to help maintain stability in the world by monitoring ghosts in the Mortal Realm and he's there to help her. He confirms that she has the Sight i.e., the ability to sense ghosts, seeing them and getting physical sensations like headaches and nausea when they are near. He warns her about geoi hau gwai or hungry ghosts who were ungenerous mortals who search the Mortal Realm for offerings to sustain themselves. When Ghost Boy returns–his name is Henry–Emma unwittingly sends him back to the Underworld by striking him with a paper talisman her Mah Mah had always given her. Surprisingly Leon confirms that Emma is using a ghosthunting tool. 

Emma is so confused. Her family does not believe in ghosts and yet her grandmother always gave her protective talismans to ward off evil at entrances to buildings. Now she has Leon who is trying to protect her from Henry, a ghost hunter of the Underworld who works for one the Ten Lords there and whose job it is to rein in unruly ghosts who cause trouble. But why pick on Emma?

With Leon's protection and direction, Emma learns more about her family history and her own abilities, all with the objective of helping her much-loved grandmother and ultimately making things right for spirits in the Underworld.

 

I wish I could tell you everything that happens in Melissa Yue's debut novel but Misadventures in Ghosthunting is a big story. It's a story of family, familial expectations, and a grandmother-granddaughter relationship. It's one of Chinese culture and superstitions and the Ghost Festival and magic and glorious food. It's one of history, including a love story. And it's about making things right, even when you aren't responsible for making them wrong. Oh, and there's a splattering of robotics too. As I said, it's a big story, with layers in the present and in the past, in the Mortal Realm and in the Underworld, in the mundane teen world of school and parental expectations and in one of needle-mouth ghosts and immortals. And Melissa Yue tells it with humour, cultural respect, and familial devotion. 

A family is built from shared memories. (p. 342)

Through all her characters, mortal and not, Melissa Yue embeds us in their stories, finding goodness in some that might appear evil and flaws in some that are generally good. All her characters are fully developed. They make mistakes, take chances, have weakness and lack in confidence. They also do their jobs, even unusual ones, make connections with others, have pasts, and always look for something more. They are human, even if they're immortal.

 

It's hard to parse out everything in Misadventures in Ghosthunting because there is so much but Melissa Yue gives middle-grade readers a story that is full and intricate with characters and subplots and history and that little bit of magic. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, you'll cheer for Emma and her allies in their attempts at righteousness and for the defeat of evil. I don't know if anyone was celebrating the Ghost Festival just over a week ago but honouring the dead with offerings sounds like a wise rite to observe, especially when the consequences of not doing so could be overwhelming. Emma knows.

• • • • • • •

 

Look for my interview with author Melissa Yue tomorrow here on CanLit for LittleCanadians. She reveals much about her writing and the story, as well as some important background about the cultural traditions and framework used as a basis for Misadventures in Ghosthunting.

How Nivi Got Her Names

Written by Laura Deal

Illustrated by Charlene Chua

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-137-9

32 pp.

Ages 5-7

April 2017

Naming children after their parents or grandparents in not unusual but the Inuit show great depth of respect and appreciation for their ancestry in the naming of their children, particularly those involved in the Inuit custom adoption, a profoundly generous sharing of children with those who do not have their own.

Adorable Nivi whose full name is Niviaq Kauki Baabi Irmela Jamesie is playing with her toys when she realizes that they each only have one name whereas she has lots.  How Nivi Got Her Names is the story of Mom explaining to her daughter, who came to them through the Inuit custom adoption, the origins of all her names.

From How Nivi Got Her Names 

by Laura Deal 

illus. by Charlene Chua

Niviaq means “little girl” and is the name her adopted parents gave her. Kauki was the grandmother of Nivi’s birth mother, and giving her that name allowed them to honour her and connect Nivi to her biological family.  Baabi was a special family friend who appeared in a dream and naming Nivi after him allowed his spirit and character to live on through her, as well as connecting the child to his family.  Mom explains that Nivi is named Irmela after her own grandmother Irma who was strong, resourceful and creative. Finally, the name Jamesie was to honour Nivi’s mother’s grandfather, a man with a generous heart and a loving spirit.

I wept with emotion for the words Nivi’s mother tells the child:

"We all love you, dear Nivi, for all that you are.  For the names that you have, for the character and traits we see in you, and the people we are reminded of when we are with you.” (pg. 22) 

From How Nivi Got Her Names 

by Laura Deal 

illus. by Charlene Chua

How Nivi Got Her Names may appear on the surface to be a parent explaining something to a child but it is more about providing context for the bonds and connections with those who are living and those who have passed. Giving a child a name for registration and for ease of communication is the norm but the Inuit tradition of naming is a means of “welcoming back a family member, a loved one, or a respected community member” (pg. 29)  and provide community for a child.  Nivi is Laura Deal’s own daughter, adopted through Inuit custom adoption and, though the author provides a glossary and extensive notes on Inuit kinship and naming customs, as well as bios on the individuals honoured in Nivi’s names, the gratitude and love with which the author infuses her story is very personal.  Even Charlene Chua’s art which is cheerful and playful, like Nivi and her daily routines, still pays respect to the practices described within, undoubtedly illustrating the individuals honoured in Nivi’s names with accuracy and dignity.

How Nivi Got Her Names may be an informative picture book about the Inuit tradition of naming and custom adoption but it is an intimate depiction of an admirable practice, one that provides an inheritance more valuable than anything normally pursued in western worlds.  How fortunate for young Niviaq Kauki Baabi Irmela Jamesie.

From How Nivi Got Her Names 

by Laura Deal 

illus. by Charlene Chua

From Lands of the Night

by Tololwa M. Mollel

Illustrated by Darrell McCalla

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-498-4

32 pp.

Ages 7+

January 2014

An ill child is great cause for concern and worthy of a heroic pursuit for a remedy. But, after fruitless hospital visits, futile treatments and prayer, the only potential help may come From Lands of the Night where the ancestors reside.  In fact, a joyful celebration of family, friends and neighbours with music, food and drink is deemed necessary to save the life of the young narrator's baby brother, Samson.

An angel, sent by God–Mola–to request they turn down the music, actually heralds the arrival of more angels, moved to dance to the rhythmic sounds.  That is, until the brilliant light of Mola draws the celebration to a stunning silence.  But the young girl invites Mola to be their guest, and soon the ancestors resplendant in colourful and unique regalia appear.  Samson's parents and other relatives greet their ancestors with respect and gifts, hopeful that they may help.

A new picture book from Tololwa M. Mollel is always cause for celebration.  Though illustrators may change, the text will always be powerful and inspired and immersed in his African heritage.  From Lands of the Night is no different, depicting the joy of community and tradition, culture and history.  Though the story may reflect Tololwa M. Mollel's African (Tanzanian) heritage, the colours and vibrancy of Darrell McCalla's illustrations definitely have a warm Caribbean flavour.  As such, From Lands of the Night may be more universal than initially thought, reflecting the similarity of stories told across regions.

There will be some (there always are) who will question the inclusion and appropriateness of angels and spirits and even a God in a children's book.  Tololwa M. Mollel, ever the sensitive statesman, addresses this potential concern in his poignant author notes, which should be read by all for greater understanding.  But I see the global nature of From Lands of the Night by including common elements of faith and belief systems to which so many turn when crises of body or spirit arise.  The reassurance that our world extends beyond the here-and-now and includes a rich support system of ethereal entities is both reassuring and hopeful.