Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a quietly perceptive story that includes a handful of key words translated into a Cree dialect, a child accompanies his grandmother into an airy, late summer forest to pick wild blueberries. "Grandma likes sweet blueberries ininimina, soft blueberries, juicy blueberries. Clarence likes big blueberries, sour blueberries, blueberries that go pop in his mouth." Throughout their excursion, Clarence and his grandmother observe woodland animals, including a spider ("kokom-minakesis") spinning its web, a fox ("makesis"), and birds ("pinesisak"). Flett (Owls See Clearly at Night), a Cree-Metis author/artist, offers loose watercolor and collage artwork that combines slate tones with red accents, including the grandmother's skirt, the birds' breasts, and a ubiquitous, low-hanging sun. Abundant white space creates a free and uncluttered landscape; the simple, concrete descriptions, reiterated through the use of Cree words ("Clarence and his grandma pick blueberries for a long time konesk"), provide a sense of composure and calm. Includes a recipe for wild blueberry jam and a pronunciation guide. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Horn Book Review
"When Clarence was little, his grandma / carried him on her back through / the woods to the clearing to pick / wild berries / pikaci-minisa. / Grandma carried a bucket and sang." Fast-forward about five years, and now Clarence follows his grandma with his own bucket and sings along with her. Each double-page spread introduces a single line of text describing the sights and sounds of a small moment--dropping berries in a bucket (tup, tup), finding a spider web (sh, sh), observing a passing fox (rustle, rustle). Each page of text also uses one word in a dialect of Cree (the "n" dialect, known as Swampy Cree), highlighted in red font. The translated word choices are interesting in that they are not always the typical nouns and adjectives but are sometimes verbs and phrases such as long time and so many, carefully selected to enhance the rhythm of the story. The muted earth tones of the watercolor and collage illustrations in browns, grays, and reds perfectly complement the quiet tone of the story, as they offer a sense of the natural world in which Clarence is at home. A pronunciation guide and glossary of Swampy Cree words are appended. kathleen t. horning (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Select words paired to sonorous equivalents in the Swampy Cree dialect highlight this serene picture of a blueberry-picking expedition. Since before he could walk, little Clarence has accompanied his grandma in season to a certain clearing to pick "wild berries / pikaci-minsa." Once grandma has checked for bears ("maskwak"), the two set to picking--and eating--with breaks to watch an ant ("enk") and other wildlife. When their buckets are full, they say "thank you / nanaskomowak" and depart--leaving a handful of berries for the birds. In the illustrations, two figures walk among tall, widely spaced tree trunks through grasses neatly drawn in single, straight brushstrokes to a clearing mottled with low berry plants. A red sun hangs in a white sky that is visually an extension of the white facing page on which the Cree, printed in red italics, draws the eye to the short, widely spaced lines of narrative. Except for a passing fox and the occasional bird, animals are depicted as silhouettes, which adds to the episode's overall visual simplicity. Flett, an illustrator of Cree-Mtis heritage, created a cultural and artistic showcase in Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet (2010); despite the language notes, this offering is a more general one. A sweet commemoration of a shared experience, presented with care and infused with intimacy. (pronunciation guide, wild blueberry jam recipe) (Picture book. 5-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
