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Summary
Summary
From the award-winning and bestselling author of We Are Water Protectors comes an empowering picture book about family history, self-expression, and reclaiming your identity
Our ancestors say our hair is our memories,
our source of strength and power,
a celebration of our lives.
Mom never had long hair--she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn't have long hair--hers was taken from her. But one young girl can't wait to grow her hair long: for herself, for her family, for her connection to her culture and the Earth, and to honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.
From Carole Lindstrom, author of the New York Times bestseller and Caldecott Medal winner We Are Water Protectors , and debut illustrator Steph Littlebird comes an empowering and healing celebration of hair and its significance across Indigenous cultures.
Reviews (3)
Horn Book Review
"Our ancestors say / Our hair is our memories. / Our source of strength." Lindstrom's (author of Caldecott winner We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20, and an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) authentic storytelling text explains the importance of hair -- "Native/Indigenous peoples believe that hair holds strength and power" -- and its connection to Mother Earth. An Indigenous girl is eager for her hair to grow. She tells us that her mom kept her own hair short because she was told as a child it was "too wild." Nokomis (her grandmother) had long hair, but it was cut off at the Indian boarding school she was forced to attend as a child. The text follows the girl as her hair grows longer and longer: "When Nimishoomis taught me / how to fish for the first time, / my hair was at my ears"; "When my baby brother was born, / my hair touched my shoulders." The intergenerational interaction of family highlights the idea many Indigenous families have that future generations can reclaim what was lost. The narrative's powerful ending brings this story to a satisfying, hopeful conclusion. Debut illustrator Littlebird (a member of Oregon's Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) captures the closeness of the family and the strength and determination of the protagonist in bright colors set against woodgrain-like backgrounds. Subtle visual cues in the characters' facial expressions enable viewers to distinguish emotions as well as depicting the beauty and honor long hair holds for Indigenous people. Appended with an author's note and a short glossary of Ojibwe words. Naomi R. CaldwellMarch/April 2023 p.48 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A Native girl reflects on hair, both her own and her family's. The young narrator's Nokomis (Ojibwe for grandmother) and mother were not permitted to have long hair--her mother's was deemed "too wild," while Nokomis' was shorn at a residential school. The phrase "Our ancestors say" repeats throughout as we learn that "stories and memories are woven" into the young narrator's hair. Long Indigenous hair is a form of self-expression, honors ancestral knowledge, and is healing medicine, according to the ancestors. Littlebird's (enrolled Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) bold art matches the power of We Are Water Protectors author Lindstrom's (Anishinabe/Métis, enrolled Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) words. Crisp, striking illustrations reminiscent of woodcuts celebrate life and depict characters' connections to Mother Earth as leaves swirl and splashes of vibrant colors dance across pages like confetti. Parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, and aunties are included, making for a loving portrayal of a tightknit extended Native family. The stages of the protagonist's hair growth serve as a timeline of events: When Nimishoomis (grandfather) taught the child to fish, her hair reached her ears; when her brother was born, it was shoulder-length. When Nimishoomis dies, the young girl cuts her hair to send powerful energy into the spirit world with him. As the book ends, the child decides to regrow her hair, and so does her mother. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A deeply moving and inspiring celebration of long hair and its significance in Indigenous cultures. (information on the importance of hair to Native/Indigenous peoples, Ojibwe glossary, author's note) (Picture book. 5-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Caldecott author Lindstrom (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) here celebrates the importance of hair to Indigenous cultures. Although her mother and grandmother have chosen to keep their hair short, this young protagonist cannot wait for her hair to grow long. She connects specific memories to her hair length: touching her ears when Nimishoomis (Grandfather) teaches her to fish; shoulder length when her brother is born; past her shoulders when she learns to make moccasins; and the middle of her back when she dances at Pow Wow. She shares traditional knowledge articulating that hair contains stories and memories, gives strength, and celebrates relationships. Noting the custom of cutting hair when a loved one dies, she further posits that hair is a living scrapbook. Littlebird's (Oregon Tribes of the Grand Ronde) pencil-and-digital art features simple shapes, flowing lines, and a palette of purples, turquoise, and greens, accented in yellow. With backgrounds suggesting wood grain and thickly outlined shapes throughout, the illustrations evoke woodcuts and give the presentation a timeless feel. Appended with an author's note that poignantly explains why haircutting at Indian residential schools was so traumatic, this makes a thoughtful and enlightening addition to the picture book shelves and a worthy choice for units on Indigenous cultures.