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anneke_b's review against another edition
4.0
Great opportunity to introduce the topic of residential schools to my youngest two. We recently read a book that mentioned something about that, and this was just expanding on that topic in a very gentle, but also direct way.
Recommended
Recommended
readinginthe_pnw's review against another edition
4.0
A young girl chooses to help her grandfather relearn the language that was taken from him years ago. Could be a mentor text for making inferences and connections.
snazel's review against another edition
5.0
Oh boy, this book. A gentle and sympathetic look at a horrible topic (residential schools, and specifically languages being stamped out in residential schools).
ekimball's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
jillyd's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. The story. The illustrations. The feelings it brought up in me as I read it. Read it, you will not be sorry.
heisereads's review against another edition
5.0
A gorgeous book in illustrations, language, and sentiment. When a Cree girl asks her grandfather about the language, she learns why he doesn't remember it anymore (from the boarding school days when culture and language was taken away from the Native Americans). A powerful, beautiful, heartwarming story that will be important to share with kids of all cultures.
Pair with [b:When We Were Alone|31258103|When We Were Alone|David Alexander Robertson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473267528s/31258103.jpg|51914246], [b:I Am Not a Number|29403531|I Am Not a Number|Jenny Kay Dupuis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461695884s/29403531.jpg|49656225], and other books relating the boarding school experience, or [b:Hungry Johnny|18936752|Hungry Johnny|Cheryl Minnema|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407813609s/18936752.jpg|26944508] and [b:My Heart Fills with Happiness|26586438|My Heart Fills with Happiness|Monique Gray Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444629175s/26586438.jpg|46608482] to relate to contemporary culture of First Nations people. This is a must read/must share book!
Pair with [b:When We Were Alone|31258103|When We Were Alone|David Alexander Robertson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473267528s/31258103.jpg|51914246], [b:I Am Not a Number|29403531|I Am Not a Number|Jenny Kay Dupuis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461695884s/29403531.jpg|49656225], and other books relating the boarding school experience, or [b:Hungry Johnny|18936752|Hungry Johnny|Cheryl Minnema|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407813609s/18936752.jpg|26944508] and [b:My Heart Fills with Happiness|26586438|My Heart Fills with Happiness|Monique Gray Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444629175s/26586438.jpg|46608482] to relate to contemporary culture of First Nations people. This is a must read/must share book!
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
5.0
With tears still in my eyes after reading, this I want to get my feelings down about this sweet, short picture book. So simple, only 13 pages long, but with such impact, I might as well as read a whole novel.
A little girl comes home from school and asks her grandfather how to say grandfather in Cree, since they are of those people. Alas, her grandfather has lost all his words, because he was forbidden to speak them when he went to residential school. He explains this in such simple ways, but gets the idea across:
Such a powerful way to explain what happened, with lovely pictures, the words becoming a cadged bird as they flew from their mouths.
Is this book relevant? Damn right it is. Is this book needed? Damn right it is. Does this book made you cry and rage at the same time. Damn right it does.
With stories in the news such as this one, where a senator says that residential schools weren't all bad? Sheesh, we need a whole boat load of books like this.
Highly, highly recommend this book to all libraries, homes, and schools, both in Canada, and the US. This history needs to be told, and told again.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. Thank you Second Story Press for publishing these, and other important books.
A little girl comes home from school and asks her grandfather how to say grandfather in Cree, since they are of those people. Alas, her grandfather has lost all his words, because he was forbidden to speak them when he went to residential school. He explains this in such simple ways, but gets the idea across:
"[They took me] away to a school that was cold and lonely, where angry white faces raised their voices and their hands when we used our words," he answered. "They took our words and locked them away, punished us until we forgot them, until we sounded like them."
Such a powerful way to explain what happened, with lovely pictures, the words becoming a cadged bird as they flew from their mouths.
Is this book relevant? Damn right it is. Is this book needed? Damn right it is. Does this book made you cry and rage at the same time. Damn right it does.
With stories in the news such as this one, where a senator says that residential schools weren't all bad? Sheesh, we need a whole boat load of books like this.
Highly, highly recommend this book to all libraries, homes, and schools, both in Canada, and the US. This history needs to be told, and told again.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. Thank you Second Story Press for publishing these, and other important books.
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
5.0
A little girl asks her grandfather for the word for grandfather in Cree, and he tells her the tale of how his words were stolen from him, while he was in residential school.
This was such an amazing book when it was written only in English, but now native speakers of Plains Cree have translated this very touching story into Cree, so that children and adults can read this in their native language.
Highly recommended, and what a wonderful book to translate.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This was such an amazing book when it was written only in English, but now native speakers of Plains Cree have translated this very touching story into Cree, so that children and adults can read this in their native language.
Highly recommended, and what a wonderful book to translate.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.