• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2

An Anishinaabe child and her grandmother explore the natural wonders of each season in this lyrical, bilingual story-poem.

In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings.

We accompany them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.

Brittany Luby and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley have created a book inspired by childhood memories of time spent with Knowledge Keepers, observing and living in relationship with the natural world in the place they call home — the northern reaches of Anishinaabewaking, around the Great Lakes.

 

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

 

BRITTANY LUBY (Anishinaabe-kwe, atik totem) est l’une des nombreuses arrière-petites-filles du chef Kawitaskung, un chef Anishinaabe qui a signé le Traité de l’angle nord-ouest en 1873. D’un coup de crayon, Kawitaskung a accepté de partager des parties de ce qui représente aujourd’hui le Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario avec des colons et leurs descendants. Grâce à ses grands-pères exceptionnels, Brittany croit au pouvoir de l’encre et des mots, c’est pourquoi elle écrit en faveur de la justice sociale. Elle est aussi professeure d’histoire à l’Université de Guelph, spécialisée dans l’histoire de l’Amérique du Nord.

 

BRITTANY LUBY (Anishinaabe-kwe, atik totem) is the many-greats granddaughter of Chief Kawitaskung, an Anishinaabe leader who signed the North-West Angle Treaty of 1873. With a pen stroke, Kawitaskung agreed to share parts of what is now Northwestern Ontario with settlers and their descendants. Because of her many-greats grandfather, Brittany believes that ink is a powerful tool. The words we write lay the foundation for our future. Brittany writes for social justice. She is also a history professor at the University of Guelph, specializing in Indigenous history in North America.

 

Brittany Luby's profile page

MANGESHIG PAWIS-STECKLEY is an Anishinaabe illustrator and a member of Wasauksing First Nation. He illustrated the award-winning picture book Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know and Mnoomin maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin, both by Brittany Luby, and is the author and illustrator of Boozhoo! / Hello! He lives in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples (Vancouver) with his wife Maria and daughter Mino.

Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's profile page

ALVIN TED CORBIERE and ALAN CORBIERE, father and son, are Anishinaabe from M'Chigeeng First Nation. Alvin's first language is Anishinaabemowin, aka Ojibwe, and Alan is learning it as a second language. They collaborate to produce curricular materials in Anishinaabemowin for learners of all ages. Alan Corbiere is an assistant professor of Indigenous history at York University in Toronto.

Alvin Ted Corbiere's profile page

ALVIN TED CORBIERE and ALAN CORBIERE, father and son, are Anishinaabe from M'Chigeeng First Nation. Alvin's first language is Anishinaabemowin, aka Ojibwe, and Alan is learning it as a second language. They collaborate to produce curricular materials in Anishinaabemowin for learners of all ages. Alan Corbiere is an assistant professor of Indigenous history at York University in Toronto.

Alan Corbiere's profile page

• Winner, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award
• Commended, CCBC Choices
• Winner, Indigenous Voices Award
• Commended, Cooperative Children’s Book Center Book of the Week
• Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award, Young People's Literature — Illustrated Books

A warmhearted depiction of the seasons and intergenerational closeness.

Horn Book

[H]ighly recommended for being a simple and charming tool to teach and learn about various forms of Indigenous knowledge: language, artwork, and traditional ways of learning and knowing.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

The story reveals the love they have for nature and for each other.

Calgary Herald

A powerful story that models how to build love and respect for the land and environment.

Toronto Star

[D]istinct, clean lines and appealing use of colour.

Postmedia

Brittany Luby’s (Anishinaabe) exceptional text is perfectly complemented by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley’s (Ojibwe) gorgeous art.

Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Inviting readers into a beloved locale, this book is recommended for all picture book collections, especially those seeking more titles highlighting Indigenous people, their languages, and their artwork. STARRED REVIEW

School Library Journal

Highly recommended for home, school and public libraries as a lovely story, but also as an introduction to Indigenous worldview and the Anishinaabemowin language.

Canadian Children’s Book News

[B]oth a celebration of the seasons and a close look at the natural world.

Globe & Mail

Luby subtly shows that asking how a child knows a season has changed … creates a more personalized, meaningful learning experience. STARRED REVIEW

Quill & Quire

[A] triumph of art, literal and graphic.

CanLit for Little Canadians Blog

Aimed at younger readers but a pleasant read for anyone.

Windspeaker

In this lyrical, bilingual story, a grandmother’s knowledge reveals wonders.

Kirkus Reviews