My 250 words for a review are almost taken up by the Nehiyaw title, Okāwīsimāw Omēkiwin Askīhkānihk Ohci: Auntie’s Rez Surprise (translated by Dorothy Thunder). I am sorry to say there was not a glossary or pronunciation guide in either of the versions I read (I also read the English only version, just titled Auntie’s Rez Surprise). Therefore, I was unable to truly appreciate the language. At first the dual languages were a bit confusing, making the pages crowded, but I quickly was able to get the hang of it.
The story is a sweet one, Heather O’Watch tells us of a young girl Cree and the fun she has with her Auntie. We see all the surprises her Auntie has. There is a guessing game of what is hidden in Aunties purse (it is alive, has a button nose, and from the rez). When we learn what it is (a puppy) Cree learns how she must care for this creature, and how it is connected to her, and she to it. Both editions are due mid-September 2023, I was able to read these via an online reader copy.
The artwork of Ellie Arscott was the part I enjoyed (second to the Auntie finds Elvis CDs at the tag sale). They are sweet, fun, cute. They are not overly detailed but have a nice fulness to them. As said, the English only edition was less crowded, but I think the Nehiyaw language is really very interesting. It looks simply, but there is a complexity to it that makes it seem like it might be a challenging language to learn. This ramble is to say, I am now curious about Cree and her people, her language, and more culture. This book is a nice introduction but needs a smidgen more for me.
