Written in side-by-side paragraphs of English and Cree (roman alphabet), this story shows us how a young boy is instructed in cultural ways and explains the reason drums are so important to the Cree.
The illustrations by a Cree portray real scenes. Tho I believe they were painted separately from the creation of this book, the selected paintings fit well within the story line.
My grandchildren enjoyed hearing the included CD to give them a sense of what the story was talking about. There is no pronunciation guide, so if you are not from that culture you'll do the best you can with the Cree (or look for another source for pronunciation). The book ends with a note from the painter, which is a brief accounting of his life growing up in the old ways, but in a tiny typeface indicating it's status as background material. ( )

Lovely well-meaning prose with beautiful images only vaguely related to text.
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Lovely well-meaning prose with beautiful images only vaguely related to text.
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This book is a collection of poems for a coming of age story. The main character has to lead his first powwow and learns how to accept the responsibility. I think that this book is an appropriate representation of a culture that we normally do not learn about. It discusses the importance of traditions and history within their culture.

The book use the poetry to show the culture of Native American by songs, and the children to know and understand it from the songs.