My Powerful Hair is a celebration of Native culture
By Elizabeth Blair/NPR My Powerful Hair is a new picture book that turns a painful truth about racism into a celebration of Native culture. When Carole Lindstrom was a little girl growing up in Bellevue, Nebraska, she really wanted long hair. She would put the blanket she had as a baby on her head and, […]
Powwow story for children will dance into your heart
Review by Deborah Locke The young Ojibwe girl, Josie, wants more than anything to dance for the first time at the summer powwow. This sweet picture book, “Josie Dances,” explains the way Josie’s aunty, grandmother and mother create her powwow outfit while Josie practices the shawl dance. Persistence and belief pay off. That summer day, […]
Books encourage resilience and confidence when facing adversity
By Deborah Locke Two children’s books aimed at different age groups encourage resilience and confidence when facing adversity. In each book, American Indian parents play key roles in supporting their children, and preparing them for an adulthood where they can flourish. The books are “The Range Eternal” by Louise Erdrich (University of Minnesota Press, Oct. […]
Children’s books teach, entertain and inspire
Review by Deborah Locke “The First Fire: a Cherokee Story” is a children’s picture book about the introduction of fire to the animals of the earth, thanks to a spunky female spider. The illustrations are cute, the plot moves to a fairly predictable end, and the moral of the story rings true: no matter who […]
Books teach importance of resilience, and kindness to animals
Reviews by Deborah Locke The Dancers A new children’s book, “The Dancers” by Thomas Peacock could be subtitled “Dancing With Your Heart.” The story is narrated by a little girl who tells the story of her auntie, an ogichidaquay (female warrior) who joins the Army. The auntie, deployed overseas, loses her legs when a truck […]