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mixtercharlie's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Well written and approachable picture book on a dark and emotional topic. The repetition and use of vivid illustrations makes a big difference, despite the large amount of text. Also, the pattern of question and answer throughout makes it easy to follow the story.
buttermellow's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Racism
bickie's review
4.0
Gentle introduction to how it was for indigenous people (in this case, a Cree woman and her brother) to be at a school far away from home where they were not allowed to dress in their own colorful clothing, wear their hair long and proud, speak their own language, or stay together as a family.
Written by a Norway House Cree Nation member. Pronunciations of Cree words in the book by the author are here: https://youtu.be/QRM-He0vN_U
Written by a Norway House Cree Nation member. Pronunciations of Cree words in the book by the author are here: https://youtu.be/QRM-He0vN_U
carolineinthelibrary's review
5.0
I attended a book talk with David A. Robertson and was excited to pick up any of his books. This one was beautiful and heartbreaking, poetic and moving. It tells the story of a young girl learning about residential schools from her grandmother. I felt it highlighted the importance of sharing stories among family, especially when those stories impact larger history and family history. Highly recommend!
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
This picturebook does an absolutely amazing job of making Native American history and colonization palatable and accessible for children without denying or ignoring the depersonalization that went on. A young girl learns about the boarding schools Native Americans were forced to go into to assimilate into American culture. That meant no bright colors, short hair, and English only. And, even better, this book is illustrated by a Native American illustrator, which only adds to the complexity and historical accuracy. Ultimately, this picturebook is great for teaching a history we so often shy from, and great for showing interfamilial friendships. Great for grades K-2.
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
amorphouscloud's review
5.0
i think its always interesting how we are pulled towards things when we need to see them most. i was shelving a few things in children's today when i saw this book in the chaos that is the emergent readers section. the thin books were parted and it was almost like this one was asking to be held. i came back to my desk and sat down, reading goodreads' native american heritage month reads, and like clockwork, this was on the list. this short tale tackles how colonizers disenfranchised native american tribes in present-day canada by way of reservation schools. while not directly a tale i can relate to by way of sympathy (simply not something my white body will ever understand), i empathize with mourning the loss of a younger self who had their identity taken from them and, as an adult, embraces it with their whole being. on melancholy days when its easy to fall into the cyclical internal dialogue of "why does anything really matter," this book reminds us that the things that make us, us, are always worth holding close.