I Sang You Down from the Stars
A distinctive story is told in second person in the voice of an Inniniwak mother who is looking forward to the birth of her first child. As the nine months pass, the mother gathers items for her baby’s medicine bundle, poetically explaining the significance and power of each item. After the baby is born, these items are reiterated as she prepares the baby to be welcomed by family and friends. “I saw that you, my baby, are also a sacred bundle. You are my baby bundle.” The narrative is well matched by the illustrations, both emotive and dreamy. The author and illustrator are both Indigenous, from different Nations, and their notes speak to how the story connects to their own specific traditions, as well as to many Indigenous traditions that hold the belief that babies choose their own parents. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Michaela Goade
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-6
Age Range:
Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3)
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Affirmation
Babies
Cree People
Families
First/Native Nations
Mothers
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
Publisher:
Little, Brown
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 24
ISBN: 9780316493161
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Spillett-Sumner