STITCHES OF TRADITION (GASHKIGWAASO TRADITION)

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STITCHES OF TRADITION (GASHKIGWAASO TRADITION)

Name: STITCHES OF TRADITION (GASHKIGWAASO TRADITION)
Author: Marcie R. Rendon
ISBN: 9780063218680

by Marcie R. Rendon ; illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 2024

A radiant and joyful glimpse at an important Native tradition.

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“Traditions stitch together generations with love.”

Nookomis (Ojibwe for Grandmother) sews a ribbon skirt for her narrating granddaughter to wear to a new baby’s naming ceremony. Time passes, and Nookomis makes the child new skirts to mark other occasions—the Fall Ceremony, a beloved aunt becoming a district judge, and, at last, the protagonist’s coming-of-age ceremony. The book ends with the child—now a young woman—welcomed into a circle of loving female relatives. Employing straightforward, matter-of-fact text that’s nevertheless steeped in meaning, Rendon (Ojibwe) beautifully pays tribute to the deep bond between elders and the next generation. She relies on a repetitive structure: Each time, Nookomis selects the right fabrics and colors and takes precise measurements before creating a new skirt. Poignant details, such as the child growing taller as Nookomis grows shorter, emphasize the passage of time. The repeated phrase “My granddaughter, live a good life” anchors the narrative as the years go by. Pawis-Steckley’s (Ojibwe) thick-lined art depicts sturdy, stylized characters sporting brilliantly textured garments that pop with color; readers will feel welcomed into the community alongside Nookomis and her granddaughter. Rendon expertly works information about Ojibwe culture into the narrative; her author’s note explains that ribbon skirts are a “sacred, spiritual, and political” symbol of Indigenous resilience, passed down by generations of women.

A radiant and joyful glimpse at an important Native tradition. (Ojibwe glossary, note from Heartdrum founder Cynthia Leitich Smith) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024

ISBN: 9780063218680

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Heartdrum

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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CLYDEO TAKES A BITE OUT OF LIFE

From the Clydeo series

by Jennifer Aniston ; illustrated by Bruno Jacob ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery.

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Drawing inspiration from her rescue dog Clyde, Emmy-winning actor Aniston tells the story of a pooch seeking his passion.

The Clyde family are a talented bunch of canines: Uncle Clydester adores surfing, Auntie Clydette digs for dinosaur bones, and Great-Grandma Cly-Clyde dances salsa. “Everyone [has] something that [makes] them stand out”—except for young Clydeo, who doesn’t feel special. Clydeo sets out to discover what he loves, guided by an optimistic mantra: “Take a bite out of life, I always say!” As he tries out various relatives’ hobbies, he asks for advice: How will he know when he’s found his “thing”? Grandpa Clyderton, the daredevil, says that his passion makes him “light up.” Second cousin Clydesto, who paints blindfolded, says that art makes his world brighter. Plucky, persistent Clydeo keeps searching. He finds answers while helping his mother cook for a big family meal. “Clydeo [feels] a warm feeling in his belly…He love[s] his family, and he love[s] cooking for them.” Clydeo’s notion of taking a bite out of life proves to be his thing—cooking. The alliteration of the family members’ names, their kernels of wisdom, and the book’s lovable protagonist make for a pleasurable, meaningful read. Jacob’s illustrations of big-eyed, expressive dogs exude charm and personality and make searching for one’s passion seem like utter joy.

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery. (author’s note, photos) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9780063372368

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)