Bernie Goedhart
Children’s books have come a long way in the 40 years I’ve been reviewing them and Canadian authors/illustrators have earned their place among the finest creators of children’s literature worldwide. I remember being surprised — and proud — the first time I spotted a Canadian kids’ book prominently displayed in a U.S. bookstore. These days, that’s commonplace. And publishers are making a real effort now to deliver books in which any child can recognize him/herself. Diversity has become the norm, not the exception.
Stories about Canada’s indigenous people, for example, are no longer as rare as they once were.
The first books I encountered with native characters were generally by white authors – retellings of Inuit tales by James Houston, for example, or May Cutler’s 1975 publication I Once Knew an Indian Woman (written under the pen name Ebbitt Cutler). Today, native writers like Sherman Alexie in the U.S. and Thomas King in Canada have put their considerable talents to use for readers of all ages, including the younger set. The number of children’s books written and illustrated by indigenous authors and artists has grown steadily.
Here are some recent publications worth checking out:
Stolen Words
Melanie Florence, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard
Second Story Press
A Toronto writer of Cree and Scottish heritage, Melanie Florence tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who is puzzled when her grandfather says he can’t remember how to say “grandfather” in Cree. “I lost my words a long time ago,” he tells her, describing how — as a child — he was taken away from his family and sent to a residential school. Quebec artist Gabrielle Grimard matches the author’s poignant but age-appropriate text with illustrations that clearly convey the girl’s concern for her grandfather’s feelings and her joy in finding a way to give him back his language – and learn it herself.
For ages six to nine.
Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation
Monique Gray Smith
Orca Book Publishers
This book tackles the subject in a more comprehensive, factual manner – one aimed at slightly older readers (nine to 13), and particularly appropriate for use in schools. Written by a B.C. author of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry, this non-fiction account of a dreadful part of Canadian history is at its most compelling when the author draws on the first-person accounts of actual survivors.
Lavishly illustrated, the book is divided into four chapters, each of which includes strategically placed pull quotes, definitions, and thought-provoking questions labelled “Reflections” as part of the layout. The author adopts a writing style that leaves readers with the sense she’s engaging them in conversation. Teachers and parents alike could make good use of this book, not only by opening the lines of communication with kids, but also to rethink some of their own preconceived notions about Canadian history and indigenous lives.
Coyote Tales
Thomas King, illus. by Byron Eggenschwiler
Groundwood Books
A foray into writing for children by award-winning author Thomas King, this serves as a reminder that not all native stories involve abuse or isolation. Indigenous culture is rich in storytelling traditions and often encompasses a dry sense of humour. First published in 1998 and 2004, the two trickster tales in this slim volume are newly presented with black-and-white illustrations by Alberta’s Byron Eggenschwiler. For ages eight to 88.
Those Who Run in the Sky
Aviaq Johnston, illus. by Toma Feizo Gas
Inhabit Media
This is one of three books with indigenous content that made this year’s short list for the Governor General Literary Awards in English children’s books. (The Marrow Thieves, by Métis author Cherie Dimaline, published by Dancing Cat Books, is described as a dystopian novel about North America’s indigenous people being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow; When We Were Alone, a picture book by David Alexander Robertson, published by Highwater Press, is about a girl who learns of her grandmother’s life in a residential school, and was nominated for a GG on the strength of the illustrations by Julie Flett. GG winners will be announced Nov. 1. )
Johnston, a young Inuk author who divides her time between Iqaluit, Nunavut, and North Bay, Ont., tells the story of a 16-year-old boy who is recognized for his skills as a hunter and is told he will one day lead his community — and serve as its shaman. In an author’s note at the end of the book, Johnston says she based her fictional account on stories she heard while growing up, and that it reflects “the days before Inuit traditions began to change and adapt to include the things that whalers, traders, and missionaries taught Inuit.”
With occasional black-and-white illustrations by Toma Feizo Gas, the result is a riveting glimpse of a lifestyle many of us can only imagine – together with some truly hair-raising scenes involving the spirit world. A glossary and phonetic guide to Inuktitut words used throughout the book is provided. For age 10 and older.
