Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know

February 15, 2021
An Anishinaabe grandmother teaches her grandchild that by close observation, the natural world of plants, insects, animals, and birds will reveal how to know when seasons change from one to the next. Written in English and translated into Anishinaabemowin by the Corbieres, an Anishinaabe father and son pair, the story begins with the question, "Aaniish ezhi-gkedmaanh niibing? / How do I know summer is here?" This question is repeated for fall, winter, and spring, the Anishinaabemowin always preceding the English on the page. The grandchild learns how to recognize nature's signs of the changing seasons by watching and paying attention. With easily understood explanations, the elder shows how nature accommodates plants and animals, birds and insects. "When yellow Bumblebee collects purple fireweed...blueberries drop readily, [and] the sun slips into an orange dream," summer is here. The arrival of fall is signaled "when Mallard feasts on yellow corn, and Black Bear licks the ant pile clean"; winter is on its way when "gray Mouse sneaks inside for warmth"; and spring is heralded by "brown Peeper sing[ing], 'Goodnight, little one.' " Luby draws on her Anishinaabe heritage and time as a child with elders as inspiration for this gentle intergenerational tale set in the present day. Ojibwe Woodland artist Pawis-Steckley renders the scenes with bold outlines and jewel colors, many figures gently styled with traditional designs. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-19.5-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50.7% of actual size.) In this lyrical, bilingual story, a grandmother's knowledge reveals wonders. (Picture book. 3-8)

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Starred review from March 12, 2021

PreS-Gr 1-In this bilingual story, a girl and her grandmother observe their natural surroundings to determine the changing of the seasons. Written in Anishinaabemowin (the language of the Ojibwe) and English, Luby has crafted a story that highlights the natural stars of each season in the Great Lakes region. From loons, blueberries, and the buzzing insects of summer, to cattails, mushrooms, and migrating blackbirds in fall, from the snow, deer, and northern lights of winter to the thawing lake and nesting birds of spring, the seasons are known not by calendar dates but by the way nature responds to the changes in temperature and daylight. Each double page spread is first written in Anishinaabemowin and followed by Pawis-Steckley's illustrations in the Ojibwe Woodland style with heavy black lines and colorful images. The illustrations mimic the text, hiding animals and plants within the landscape, building a sense of wonder and fascination with the natural world. VERDICT Inviting readers into a beloved locale, this book is recommended for all picture book collections, especially those seeking more titles highlighting Indigenous people, their languages, and their artwork.-Lia Carruthers, Gill St. Bernard's Sch., Gladstone, NJ

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