CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Artist Mavasta Honyouti recalls stories told by his kwa’a (grandfather), who was forced to attend the Keams Canyon boarding school in the early 20th century. When Mavasta’s great-grandfather and other Hopi men protested their children being taken from home, they were threatened with arrest. At the school, Mavasta’s kwa’a was told pick a new, Anglo name; without any understanding or context, he chose Clyde. Clyde missed his home and family, but vowed to not lose his language and culture despite threats of punishment. His attempts to run away were unsuccessful, although he finally returned home in later years. The bilingual narrative was written in English and translated into the Hopi language. The author/artist is a woodcarver, like his father and grandfather before him. His account is paired with painted woodcarvings that evoke the southwest landscape and elements of Hopi culture, and dramatically capture the events and emotions of the boarding school trauma in static but stirring scenes. More about the history of Hopi people and boarding schools, the translation of the narrative, and the author/artist’s work are in essays with photographs at the volume’s end. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Mavasta Honyouti
Translated by Marilyn Parra

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: 20th Century First/Native Nations Grandfathers Hopi People Oppression Racism School Separation U.S. History
Diversity subject: Indigenous
On CCBC Booklists: Picture Books for Older Children and Teens: Never Too Old  Race and Racism: Selected Books for Pre-K to Grade 12 

Publisher: Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781646144570
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Honyouti

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