Although I'm not Canadian, I'm an Alaskan. Our indigenous populations share a heritage, so I was drawn immediately to this book. The cover art with the aurora definitely caught my eye. With stunning artwork throughout and powerful words, this one is a winner. Seen through the eyes of an indigenous child tasked with writing an essay about why they're proud to be Canadian, it's a lovely, beautifully illustrated reminder of what all of us have in common. It encourages us to honor our past while looking to the future.
Given that I read this soon after the controversy surrounding Bad Bunny's Super Bowl half-time show, it carried even more meaning. It is not just a strong testimony to not just ones own cultural identity but of learning where you fit in the grand scheme of things. There's something of a dreamlike quality to many of the illustrations, reminding us of the thin veil between our past and present. Written for children, its strength is how it honors the past and those who came before us, no matter what their origin, but gives a sense of how we fit into the whole, how we're shaped by all those who came before us. I've spent time working on my own family tree which harbors long gone souls from faraway places who made our country strong, including family who came on the Mayflower, but all were met by indigenous people who also helped shape the world as we know it. As such, I could sense the awe felt by the child in the book as they meet their ancestors and are reminded to celebrate not just past achievements but the present and future yet to come. I liked the subtle blending of "old" style and modern clothing used in some of the illustrations, a subtle shading of past and present. The artist's renderings of the Northern Lights was stunning, I must say, and captured that sense of awe well. Even today they are mystical as the wave and dance above us, reminding us that our ancestors also must have watched in awe. The spreads featuring the aurora were, no surprise, my personal favorites.
On a less mystical plain, the artwork is largely done in earth tones, with the blues ancestors are pictured in perhaps meant to convey that thin veil between past and present. You see the ancestor spirits surrounding the child in one rendering, another powerful image. To paraphrase the author, the ultimate message is that we are all one, we're all family, mankind. Different parts of Canada seem to be shown, too, again a reminder that we are bigger than one soul, living in a diverse world. We can learn from one another and bring our knowledge to the future. Obviously I could ramble on longer but will simply say this is a beautifully done book with stunning artwork and words that mean something rather than just entertain. My sincere thanks to #TundraBookGroup for allowing me early access to this lovely work. As an Alaskan, Canada is my closest neighbor and our worlds do blend at times, I'll certainly have this book firmly in my mind the next time I take in a Native gathering.
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