Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know
Niibing, dgwaagig, bboong, mnookmig dbaadjigaade maanpii mzin’igning / A Book about the Seasons
An Anishinaabe child and her grandmother explore the natural wonders of each season in this lyrical, bilingual story-poem.
In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings.
We accompany them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.
Brittany Luby and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley have created a book inspired by childhood memories of time spent with Knowledge Keepers, observing and living in relationship with the natural world in the place they call home — the northern reaches of Anishinaabewaking, around the Great Lakes.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
An Anishinaabe child and her grandmother explore the natural wonders of each season in this lyrical, bilingual story-poem.
In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings.
We accompany them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.
Brittany Luby and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley have created a book inspired by childhood memories of time spent with Knowledge Keepers, observing and living in relationship with the natural world in the place they call home — the northern reaches of Anishinaabewaking, around the Great Lakes.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Mar 1, 2021 |
| Specifications | 44 pages | 8.75 in x 8.5 in |
| Keywords | changing seasons; bilingual text; Anishinaabewaking; Anishinaabe culture; nature and animals; time and seasons; Indigenous characters; exploration; grandparents and grandchildren; lyrical storytelling; respect for community; respect for environment; responsibility; appreciation; pride; first person narration; child; |
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Supporting Resources
(select item to download) |
Teacher's Guide |
| Written By |
BRITTANY LUBY, of Anishinaabe descent, was raised on Treaty #3 Lands in what is currently known as northwestern Ontario. She is an associate professor of history at the University of Guelph who seeks to stimulate public discussion of Indigenous issues through her work. Her picture books include the award-winning Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Brittany now lives on territories cared for under the Dish with One Spoon Covenant. |
| Illustrated by |
MANGESHIG PAWIS-STECKLEY is an Anishinaabe illustrator and a member of Wasauksing First Nation. He illustrated the award-winning picture book Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know and Mnoomin maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin, both by Brittany Luby, and is the author and illustrator of Boozhoo! / Hello! He lives in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples (Vancouver) with his wife Maria and daughter Mino. |
| Written By |
|
BRITTANY LUBY, of Anishinaabe descent, was raised on Treaty #3 Lands in what is currently known as northwestern Ontario. She is an associate professor of history at the University of Guelph who seeks to stimulate public discussion of Indigenous issues through her work. Her picture books include the award-winning Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Brittany now lives on territories cared for under the Dish with One Spoon Covenant. |
| Illustrated by |
|
MANGESHIG PAWIS-STECKLEY is an Anishinaabe illustrator and a member of Wasauksing First Nation. He illustrated the award-winning picture book Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know and Mnoomin maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin, both by Brittany Luby, and is the author and illustrator of Boozhoo! / Hello! He lives in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples (Vancouver) with his wife Maria and daughter Mino. |
| Audience | ages 3 to 7 / grades P to 2 |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 |
Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award, Young People's Literature — Illustrated Books, 2021
Winner, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, 2022
Winner, Indigenous Voices Award, 2022
Commended, Cooperative Children’s Book Center Book of the Week, 2021
Commended, CCBC Choices, 2022
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. STARRED REVIEW
” —School Library JournalLuby subtly shows that asking how a child knows a season has changed … creates a more personalized, meaningful learning experience. STARRED REVIEW
” —Quill & QuireA warmhearted depiction of the seasons and intergenerational closeness.
” —Horn BookHighly recommended for home, school and public libraries as a lovely story, but also as an introduction to Indigenous worldview and the Anishinaabemowin language.
” —Canadian Children’s Book NewsBrittany Luby’s (Anishinaabe) exceptional text is perfectly complemented by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley’s (Ojibwe) gorgeous art.
” —Cooperative Children’s Book CenterIn this lyrical, bilingual story, a grandmother’s knowledge reveals wonders.
” —Kirkus Reviews[A] triumph of art, literal and graphic.
” —CanLit for Little Canadians Blog[H]ighly recommended for being a simple and charming tool to teach and learn about various forms of Indigenous knowledge: language, artwork, and traditional ways of learning and knowing.
” —CM: Canadian Review of MaterialsA powerful story that models how to build love and respect for the land and environment.
” —Toronto Star[B]oth a celebration of the seasons and a close look at the natural world.
” —Globe & MailThe story reveals the love they have for nature and for each other.
” —Calgary Herald[D]istinct, clean lines and appealing use of colour.
” —PostmediaAimed at younger readers but a pleasant read for anyone.
” —Windspeaker