Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The young boy who narrates this story by Holler (Cold White Sun) spends a winter day with his grandfather, who, in English and Ojibwemowin, introduces his grandson to the animals they observe. The two spot tracks in the snow that look like "two hotdogs with two marshmallows in the middle." Grandpa knows them: "Rabbit," he tells the boy, "Waabooz." The child offers information, too: "I show Grandpa how to kick snow into the bit of water under the bridge." Following the two as they slowly explore, Holler records each new discovery: the animals and their names and footprints, and the human duo's prints, too. Acrylic and colored pencil artwork by debut illustrator Faria (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) startles with rich, startling winter sunset hues of fuschia, violet, and aqua. Grandfather and his grandson return home, share a snack, and settle down to read. "He falls asleep before the end," the boy says, before himself snuggling in. Holler's story gains from the interplay of dimensions: the affectionate relationship between the boy and his grandfather, the growing vocabulary they share, and their slow-paced appreciation of the natural world. Ages 4--7. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A young boy drops bright red boots into his grandfather's lap and suggests they take a walk outside. It is winter, so both bundle up for a trip through the snowy field behind their house. They view many animals: first a black raven, then a light-colored rabbit, and, finally, many brown deer, along with the tracks they have made in the snow. The grandfather imagines how each animal sounds. The text cleverly describes the snow prints in ways that a young child can understand. For example, the deer prints are "I love you hearts cut in two." The love between the boy and grandfather is evident in every action. Brilliant colors of the trees, animals, and characters contrast nicely with the white of the snow, and on several pages the late-day rainbow-colored sky is reflected on the ground. Whether or not children are close to their own elders, this beautiful picture book engages and delights. The grandfather points out animals in both English and Ojibwemowin; the illustrator is a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. VERDICT An excellent addition to any school or public library, especially those looking to freshen up their picture book collections on the subject of winter.--Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State Univ., NH
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Review by Horn Book Review
This sweetly unassuming picture book is simultaneously a small wintertime adventure, a story of a loving intergenerational friendship, and an animal-identification book incorporating both English and Ojibwemowin vocabulary. On a snowy day, a very young boy and his grandfather take a walk in the woods across from their home. On their walk, they encounter a black bird. Grandpa introduces the bird first in English as "Raven" and then in Ojibwemowin as "Gaagaagi." The pattern is repeated with "Rabbit" ("Waabooz") and "Deer" ("Waawaashkeshi"). As they walk, the boy and Grandpa make tracks in the snow, comparing them with the animal tracks they see. Their encounters with the woods' wildlife are interspersed with moments demonstrating the warm relationship between the two. At book's end, they head home for milk and cookies and a nap. Acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations vividly portray the snowy landscape as well as the boy and grandfather's home; the bright yellow living room filled with mementos radiates love and warmth. Endpapers helpfully label the three animals with their English and Ojibwemowin names; the Ojibwemowin names are also spelled phonetically. Nicholl Denice Montgomery January/February 2021 p.78(c) Copyright 2021. 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
On a snowy winter's day, a young Ojibwe boy takes Grandpa's hand and leads him out of the busy town and into the woods. The boy shows Grandpa how to shake down clumps of snow from tree branches and kick snow in the creek where water bubbles through ice breaks. They trudge up a hill and make patterns with their footprints in the deep snow. Venturing deep into the forest, Grandpa points out different kinds of footprints. The boy tries to guess what made prints that look like "two hotdogs with two marshmallows in the middle." The tracks are made by a rabbit, and Grandpa teaches his grandson the Ojibwemowin word for the animal: "Waabooz," he says. Together they find a sparrow's "teeny tiny tracks that look like twigs" and the larger prints of the raven, "Gaagaagi." They count bigger animals hiding in the forest with tracks that "look like 'I love you' hearts cut in two"; "Deer," says Grandpa. "Waawaashkeshi." Faria (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) brings an #ownvoices perspective to Holler's text, illustrating the gentle scenes in acrylics and colored pencil. Understated humor emerges in the details: The narrator holds up a mittened hand to show how many deer he sees, and Grandpa correctly agrees that there are "five"; later, Grandpa carries his tired grandson into the house "like a pile of firewood." Phonetic pronunciations of the Ojibwemowin words appear on the endpapers. This intergenerational tale gently introduces woodland animal tracks and Ojibwemowin words. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
