"Wolverine is a great trickster. It can transform
itself into all sorts of things and even take on a
HUMAN FORM!
It's said that Wolverine once decided to bend
the birch tree to teach humans not to waste
the bark of this precious tree.
Eku miam! *
* Okay, good!
Now humans will have to look harder
to find birch trees that are straight."
In her first-person account of Innu culture, Melissa Mollen Dupuis takes readers on a journey. She introduces herself with in Innu - Aimun, the language of her people. She lets readers know that nature has been important to her from the time she was a small child.
Ms. Mollen Dupuis shares stories of creation, and explains that she has been hearing these stories for her lifetime; today she shares them with her own children. She invites readers to join her as she prepares to share her surroundings and her culture. She mentions the importance of the five senses as she treks into the forest. Her favorite tree is the birch, as it has numerous uses. That leads to the wolverine, a birch polypore called pushakan which is useful for building fires.
Every turn of the page leads to further facts about life in an Innu community, the connections to nature, the animals and birds of the surrounding environment, and those who protect them. When she talks about the importance of boats and the sea, she mentions that her family lived on her dad's fishing boat for a time.
As this informative walk together comes to an end, she talks about the treasures that nature provides and adds her goodbye.
"I had a THOUSAND things to tell you about
the forest and nature, but I don't have enough
space in this book."
Might there be another? We will have to wait and see. There are many Innu words to learn. Some are repeated on the final page. Elise Gravel add context to the importance of the sharing in friendly, signature artwork sure to add to the appeal for all readers.
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