The Caribou Feed Our Soul, written by Pete Enzoe and Mindy Willett, with photographs by Tessa Macintosh. Fifth House, Firtzhenry & Whiteside. 2020. $19.95 ages 8 and up

"My grandfather taught me many other games. He once made me a caribou bone game called k’éguwi. It is a stick attached to a string of hide. On the end of the hide string are several hollow caribou toe bones. There is also a piece of hide that has holes in it. To play, you have to get the bones onto the stick ... "

Pete's story is very personal, telling readers much about his life in the Northwest Territories on the east side of Great Slave Lake. He hunts, he fishes, he traps, and he works tirelessly to protect the caribou. Some of his work is done with scientists to track herds and ensure the health of these animals that mean so much to the northern way of life.

"Me, I love the land and all that it provides; especially caribou.
Caribou are everything to us.

I'm going to tell you about how we came to be here,
about what caribou mean to us and to our life today."

In this sixth book in The Land is Our Storybook series, Pete leads readers on a caribou harvest. As he does, he shares stories he has heard from his elders about the creation and the connection his people have to the caribou he so honors and respects. In so doing, he offers a rich history of the Chipewyan Dene.

"We believe caribou come from the stars. My grandfather told me they come down from the stars on the northern lights, so I know that when I see the northern lights there will be caribou in the area. This makes me happy because caribou are our main food source.”

Teaching the ways of his people is essential to Pete's life, and many benefit when he shares his knowledge. He carefully describes the caribou harvest and explains how each part of the animal is used to sustain his community. The plentiful, and colorful photographs add context to the telling and offer further learning.

Included is a map of his home area, a labelled photo of a caribou, further information in a glossary, quick facts, as well as photos and descriptions of the three people who collaborated to bring us this fine book.