The frog mother

Brett D. Huson

Book - 2021

"To the Gitxsan of Northwestern British Columbia, Nox Ga'naaw is a storyteller, speaking truths of the universe. When Nox Ga'naaw, the frog mother, releases her eggs among the aquatic plants of a pond, the tiny tadpoles are left to fend for themselves. As they hatch, grow legs, and transform into their adult selves, they must avoid the mouths of hungry predators. Will the young frogs survive to lay their own eggs, continuing a cycle 200 million years in the making? In book four of the Mothers of Xsan series, young readers learn about the life cycle of the Columbia Spotted Frog, the special significance of this species to the Gitxsan, and how Nox Ga'naaw and her offspring are essential to the balance that is life."--...

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Winnipeg, Manitoba : HighWater Press 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Brett D. Huson (author)
Other Authors
Natasha Donovan (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations, map ; 27 cm
Issued also in electronic formats
ISBN
9781553799016
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

This fourth installment of a picture-book series explains the frog life cycle from an Indigenous Canadian point of view. Among the Indigenous clans of the Gitxsan Nation in Northwestern Canada, the frog is known as a storyteller, truth-speaker, and polyglot because of its long tongue. The Nox Ga'naaw, or Frog Mother, spawns in April. In their home pond, the eggs hatch four days later into tadpoles and grow over the summer. By late fall, they're ready to hibernate on the unfrozen pond bottom until spring. By June, the tadpoles have transformed into small frogs. Berry-picking camp is an opportunity for kids to show their appreciation for the Nox Ga'naaw by sharing their harvest with the frogs. At 5 years old, a female frog is ready to spawn, continuing the circle of life. In his engaging book, Gyetxw enhances plain biological facts by putting them in their cultural context; for example, the Frog Mother reflects the Gitxsan Nation's matrilineal system. While footnotes explain many unfamiliar terms, some challenging vocabulary isn't defined, such as metamorphosis and photosynthesis. Donovan provides wonderfully sinuous illustrations that deftly capture frog movement and utilize color. A richly told and illustrated introduction to frogs. (Children, 9-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.