Scan barcode
lauriehnatiuk's review
4.0
Thank you to the publishers Portage and Main and author Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) for providing an ARC of this book.
This is the third in the series following the Sockeye and Grizzly Mother looking a symbolic animal to the Gitxsan people, the Eagle. Once again told by gifted artist and storyteller Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) readers will learn about the life cycle of the eagle and the importance of this majestic bird to the ecosystem.
The story begins with Mother Eagle and the approaching month of Lasa ya’a (April) and that two eggs are about two weeks away from hatching. Readers are told of the strong bond between father and mother, how they mate for life and already have had three seasons of breeding. We learn of the cottonwood and the details of their nest until a male and female are born. From here the focus shifts to how the mother looks after her two eaglets from newborns to fledglings until they are capable of looking after themselves. Throughout the book, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw has captured the environment and the beauty of where the eagles live giving a variety of perspectives from looking down into the nest to the side views of Mother Eagle swooping down and grabbing a rabbit. The Gitxsan images and drawings are beautifully interlaced into the illustrations without being distracting but adding more meaning to the story and the respect given to the eagle. Hidden discreetly and interspersed are small vocabulary boxes explaining unfamiliar words and at the end we see a map of the colonized areas and names where the Gitxsan people live along with their traditional names and brief explanation of the clans and the Gitxsan moons.
With this being an ARC copy the inside cover was understandably blank but hope that it follows the format of The Sockeye Salmon and the published version will have a detailed video pronunciation guide link to assist readers and see more of the illustrations in the book.I look forward to reading more from this author and the learning he can provide about the Gitxsan people and the importance of the land.
This is the third in the series following the Sockeye and Grizzly Mother looking a symbolic animal to the Gitxsan people, the Eagle. Once again told by gifted artist and storyteller Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) readers will learn about the life cycle of the eagle and the importance of this majestic bird to the ecosystem.
The story begins with Mother Eagle and the approaching month of Lasa ya’a (April) and that two eggs are about two weeks away from hatching. Readers are told of the strong bond between father and mother, how they mate for life and already have had three seasons of breeding. We learn of the cottonwood and the details of their nest until a male and female are born. From here the focus shifts to how the mother looks after her two eaglets from newborns to fledglings until they are capable of looking after themselves. Throughout the book, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw has captured the environment and the beauty of where the eagles live giving a variety of perspectives from looking down into the nest to the side views of Mother Eagle swooping down and grabbing a rabbit. The Gitxsan images and drawings are beautifully interlaced into the illustrations without being distracting but adding more meaning to the story and the respect given to the eagle. Hidden discreetly and interspersed are small vocabulary boxes explaining unfamiliar words and at the end we see a map of the colonized areas and names where the Gitxsan people live along with their traditional names and brief explanation of the clans and the Gitxsan moons.
With this being an ARC copy the inside cover was understandably blank but hope that it follows the format of The Sockeye Salmon and the published version will have a detailed video pronunciation guide link to assist readers and see more of the illustrations in the book.I look forward to reading more from this author and the learning he can provide about the Gitxsan people and the importance of the land.
ljrinaldi's review
5.0
An eagle mother sits on a nest. It is the middle of winter. We follow her, as her chicks hatch, and she feeds them, along with her mate. Below, their nest, the rest of the animals and people go about their lives, keyed in the changing seasons, picking berries, fishing for salmon. This is the life of the eagle, as told from the viewpoint of the native people who have lived there since humans came to this land, the Gitxan Nation.
The Colonist name for the river that runs through the Gitxsan Nation in British Columbia, Canada is Skeena. But the Gitxan people know it as the Xsam, the River of Mist.
All the stories in this series takes place in this homeland of unceded territories. This is the third book in the series.
The pictures are amazing. The little bit of Gitxsan that is thrown in there, as well as scientific words, moves the story along. We learn about the Nox Xsgyaak, the eagle mother, and how her life affects the life of all around her, the same way that the Sockeye Mother and the Grizzly Mother did.
We forget, about the true web of life. In this case, how the bones and droppings of the Eagles under the cotton wood tree strengthens it.
I love this series. What a wonderful way to introduce us to the animals that are part of the Gitxsan life, and land.
As a side note, after I read the first book in the series, The Sockeye Mother, I started looking up all I could on the Gitxsan, and their beautiful land.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The Colonist name for the river that runs through the Gitxsan Nation in British Columbia, Canada is Skeena. But the Gitxan people know it as the Xsam, the River of Mist.
All the stories in this series takes place in this homeland of unceded territories. This is the third book in the series.
The pictures are amazing. The little bit of Gitxsan that is thrown in there, as well as scientific words, moves the story along. We learn about the Nox Xsgyaak, the eagle mother, and how her life affects the life of all around her, the same way that the Sockeye Mother and the Grizzly Mother did.
We forget, about the true web of life. In this case, how the bones and droppings of the Eagles under the cotton wood tree strengthens it.
I love this series. What a wonderful way to introduce us to the animals that are part of the Gitxsan life, and land.
As a side note, after I read the first book in the series, The Sockeye Mother, I started looking up all I could on the Gitxsan, and their beautiful land.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
elizabethlk's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
Another excellent entry in the series! The information is fascinating and engaging, the art is phenomenal, and I felt like I learned about eagles, Xsan, and the traditions of the Gitxsan all in one book.
Recommended! I look forward to future entries in the series.
Another excellent entry in the series! The information is fascinating and engaging, the art is phenomenal, and I felt like I learned about eagles, Xsan, and the traditions of the Gitxsan all in one book.
Recommended! I look forward to future entries in the series.
musicalknitter's review
4.0
This beautifully illustrated book tells about how eaglets are born and grow up in Xsan, the River of Mists (in British Columbia). It is told from the perspective of the Gitxsan people. The illustrations show the environment and the beauty of the eagles as well as the devotion of the parents.
More...