A moving multigenerational story that urges us to look forward with optimism even as we acknowledge the pain of the past.
Hope is the thing with feathers in this soaring tale of indefatigable Indigenous identity.
Qal finds Aapa (Grandfather) painting in his treehouse by the sea, where the elder reminisces about time in “a crying place” (one of the residential schools where hundreds of thousands of Native children faced abuse) and shares tender insights. Now, dreaming and creativity “reminds me that I’m free,” but Aapa once drew hope from imagining his future family: “I built a nest, wisp by feather, for my dreams.” Iceberg’s (Aleut/Alutiiq) succinct text is tucked neatly into quieter corners of Littlebird’s (Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) immersive digital illustrations, which feature copious feathers and images of the brown-skinned pair sporting full wings in moments of particular strength. Cool, soothing blues in the swooping art are accented with strategic pops of Aapa’s orange clothing, a nod to Canada’s Orange Shirt tradition marking the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Like the strongest picture books about American Indian residential schools, such as Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer, and Gillian Newland’s I Am Not a Number (2016) and David A. Robertson and Julie Flett’s When We Were Alone (2016), this powerful work touches on the immeasurable loss of life, language, and cultural identity while modeling resilience for processing these institutions’ lasting individual impact. Backmatter lends additional color and context and includes a hopeful author’s note offering a brief history of cultural erasure.
A moving multigenerational story that urges us to look forward with optimism even as we acknowledge the pain of the past. (Alutiiq glossary, note from publisher) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9780063254909
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Heartdrum
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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