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Ninitohtenan / We Listen
CCBC Review:
A school-age Cree girl visiting her grandmother, Nôhkom, describes Nôhkom’s measured actions, each of which the girl, her friend (who is Black), and her mother repeat. “Nôhkom prays. We pray. Nôhkom picks. We pick.” The simple story eloquently shows the role this elder plays in teaching by doing, while also giving a lovely sense of family as the foursome walks in the woods to harvest berries and gather other things for a meal. An unexpected, child-centered moment of humor comes when the simple pattern is broken (“Nôhkom rests. Mom rests. Not us!”) This is the third book in this bilingual series in which the narrative on each page appears in twice in Y Cree—in roman orthography and then syllabics—before the English text. Full-page acrylic illustrations beautifully capture the light and landscape of the natural world and the distinct characters as they move through it. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Translated by Leona Morin-Neilson
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
African Americans
Cree Language
Cree People
Families
Grandmothers
Multiracial Characters/Families
Nature/Environment
Teachers/Mentors
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
Publishers:
Groundwood, House of Anansi
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 24
ISBN: 9781773068596
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Nicholson