Many Ways of Being Native

A hawk descends from the night sky to visit a sleeping Native boy and girl in this dreamy picture book. The hawk whispers to the children to follow him to the sky to see a vision brought as a gift from the spirit world. The following pages present nameless Indigenous children at play with subsequent spreads that show each child as an adult with an interesting profession. “A boy in search of a rainbow stomps leftover puddles,” grows up to be a storm chaser; “A girl races across a frozen pond” on skates to become an Olympic medalist. The hawk’s visions show the sleeping children that no matter where they live or what they do, each child is connected to the children who came before them. This celebration of family and ancestors sings off the pages with Reno’s beautiful, almost musical prose; Yazzie, a lifelong resident of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, captures the encouraging spirit of the visions in his cohesive acrylic paint illustrations. The hawk brings wisdom and hope for the sleeping children to grow and build on their dreams. An author’s note from Reno, a Cherokee citizen, identifies Native children who may not look or live like stereotypical representations of Indigenous people as her inspiration, but the message of connectedness and the power of big dreams will resonate with readers of every culture. VERDICT This inspiring exploration of ­Native potential is an anthem for all children to dream and strive to fulfill those dreams. A first purchase.
—School Library Journal

Ginger Reno is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and her desire to learn about Cherokee history and culture naturally spilled over into her writing. She is the author of Find Her, an Edgar Award nominated middle-grade novel, and Spirit Shadow, a picture book. Ginger lives in Oklahoma within the Cherokee Nation and likes to spend as much time as possible on her lakefront porch with her two favorite people—her husband and their twelve-year-old German shepherd.

Johnson Yazzie was born on the Navajo Nation in Pinon, Arizona. His interest in creation began in childhood and led to a lifelong career in fine art as a painter, bronze sculptor, and illustrator. Johnson illustrated Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa by Leslie Stall Widener and Yossel’s Journey by Kathryn Lasky. The Navajo word hózhǫ́ means balance, harmony, beauty. It is the word by which he lives.

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