CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Josie wants to dance for the first time at her next tribal powwow. She asks her mom to make her dress and shawl, her aunty to make her cape, and her kookum to make her moccasins and leggings. Then she asks tribal elder Grandma Greatwalker to dream her spirit name. Throughout the winter and into spring, Josie practices the fancy shawl dance. Meanwhile, while her mom, aunt, and grandma sew and bead, Grandma Greatwalker prays for a name. When the powwow finally arrives in late summer, the first thing Josie sees the morning of the dance is an eagle flying overhead. When the time comes to get ready, her mom braids Josie’s hair, her family members present Josie with her fancy shawl outfit, and Grandma Greatwalker presents her with an eagle feather and her name: Migiziinsikwe, Young Eagle Woman. A picture book set on the Turtle Mountain reservation ends with Josie being welcomed into the dance circle of the powwow. At story’s end, a glossary for the many Ojibwe words effortlessly incorporated into the text is followed by a brief note (with hand-drawn map) about Turtle Mountain, where the story is set. The naïve-style art, rich with cultural details, extends the sense of love and warmth found in the narrative. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Angela Erdrich

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Celebrations, Holidays, and Observances Community Dance and Dancers Families First/Native Nations Ojibwe People Traditions
Diversity subject: Indigenous
On CCBC Booklist: Custodians of Wonder: Books About Intergenerational Connections 

Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781681342078
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Lajimodiere

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