We All Play

March 15, 2021
Everyone loves to play! Award-winning author/illustrator Flett shares the joyful antics of young animals as they romp in much the same way as human children. The rhythmic text offers both rich vocabulary and a page-turning chant. Woodland animals "hide and hop / and sniff and sneak" while Indigenous children, depicted in differing shades of brown, run, skip, jump, and hunt for butterflies. "We play too! kim�taw�naw m�na," they proclaim in the refrain. Aquatic animals "swim and squirt / and bubble and bend" while children swim under the water and float on its surface, in inner tubes. On the prairie, snakes "slip and slide" through the grass while buffalo "rumble and roll." And bears "wiggle and wobble" as both they and children play (in separate double-page spreads) in the snow. At last, "side by side, animals fall asleep," and after a day full of fun, "we do too. n�stan�n m�na." The animals are not named within the primary text, leaving it to readers to identify the hopping bunnies, the spouting beluga whale calves, and the yawning wolf pups. Flett's characteristically minimalist compositions are deceptively simple. Readers who slow down to look will be charmed by the cricket that hops in tandem with a rabbit and the fox that stares in bemusement at a turtle. This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language, and a closing glossary provides both Cree and English names of the animals depicted; a note provides guidance on Cree pronunciation for readers not familiar with the language. Simple text and bold, graphic illustrations celebrate our interconnection with the creatures who share our world. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 This beautifully illustrated book introduces a series of young animals at play, then relates their activities to those of children. Spanning eight pages, the first of four sections in the minimalist text reads, "Animals hide and hop / and sniff and sneak / and peek and peep. / We play too! / kim�taw�naw m�na." Closing each section, the Cree phrase reiterates, "We play too." The second section involves aquatic animals, followed by children swimming, and the third features snakes, bison, and bears in motion, concluding with kids sledding down a snow-covered hill. The final section includes bats roosting, wolf pups yawning, and drowsy children going to sleep. Flett, a Cree-M�tis writer and illustrator who lives in Canada, chooses pairs of words that read aloud well. An appended list pairs English words for 13 animals (plus child and baby) with their Cree equivalents. In the art, the simplified forms of animals and children are often silhouetted against parchment-like backgrounds, while color and shading help define the characters' shapes. A handsome, understated picture book affirming our oneness with nature.

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