Amo's Sapotawan
William Dumas author Rhian Brynjolson illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Portage & Main Press
Published:20th Oct '22
£23.99
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
A Rocky Cree girl must choose the skill that will define her miskanaw, the path of her life, in the second book of The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series.
With her sapotawan ceremony fast approaching, Amō must choose her mīthikowisiwin, a gift she will develop through apprenticeship. Her sister, Pīsim, chose to become a midwife; others gather medicines or harvest fish. But none of those feel quite right.
What will Amō’s mīthikowisiwin be? How will she know what is right for her?
★ Starred selection for CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023!
Rocky Cree people understand that all children are born with four gifts or talents. When a child is old enough, they decide which gift, or mīthikowisiwin, they will seek to master. With her sapotawan ceremony fast approaching, Amō must choose her mīthikowisiwin. Her sister, Pīsim, became a midwife; others gather medicines or harvest fish. But none of those feel quite right.
Amō has always loved making things. Her uncle can show her how to make nipisiwata, willow baskets. Her grandmother can teach her how to make kwakwāywata, birchbark containers and plates. Her auntie has offered to begin Amō’s apprenticeship in making askihkwak, pottery.
What will Amō’s mīthikowisiwin be? Which skill should she choose? And how will she know what is right for her?
Incredibly rich in detail, historical notes, and culture, Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw and Amō’s Sapotawan are both great introductions to Rocky Cree history and culture as well as gentle, heartwarming stories about finding oneself.
* The Library Ladies *Among American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best Books 2022
* American Indians in Children's Literature *This is an ambitious, gorgeous production. Illustrations by Rhian Brynjolson are crisp and colorful, perfect for a children’s book. The graphic design combining story and sidebar information is exceptionally well done, including a broad topographical map on the first inside spread to show exactly where we are.
-- Terry Hammond * World Comic Book Review *Among CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023, starred selection of exceptional caliber
* CC- Joint winner of Manitoba Book Awards 2023 (Canada)
- Long-listed for PMC Indigenous Literature Award 2023 (Canada)
ISBN: 9781553799290
Dimensions: 305mm x 254mm x 10mm
Weight: 664g
60 pages