Review by Horn Book Review
As she grows from a child into a woman, Tatiana is guided by her wise grandmother who sews her a ribbon skirt to wear each time she marks an important rite of passage. Making and wearing the skirt reinforces the continuity of their Ojibwe traditions, fostering a loving, grateful connection to their ancestors. Woodland art-style illustrations and Ojibwe words in the text support cultural specificity. Useful back matter includes an author's note, a postface about manoomin (wild rice), and a glossary. (c) Copyright 2025. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
"Traditions stitch together generations with love." Nookomis (Ojibwe forGrandmother) sews a ribbon skirt for her narrating granddaughter to wear to a new baby's naming ceremony. Time passes, and Nookomis makes the child new skirts to mark other occasions--the Fall Ceremony, a beloved aunt becoming a district judge, and, at last, the protagonist's coming-of-age ceremony. The book ends with the child--now a young woman--welcomed into a circle of loving female relatives. Employing straightforward, matter-of-fact text that's nevertheless steeped in meaning, Rendon (Ojibwe) beautifully pays tribute to the deep bond between elders and the next generation. She relies on a repetitive structure: Each time, Nookomis selects the right fabrics and colors and takes precise measurements before creating a new skirt. Poignant details, such as the child growing taller as Nookomis grows shorter, emphasize the passage of time. The repeated phrase "My granddaughter, live a good life" anchors the narrative as the years go by. Pawis-Steckley's (Ojibwe) thick-lined art depicts sturdy, stylized characters sporting brilliantly textured garments that pop with color; readers will feel welcomed into the community alongside Nookomis and her granddaughter. Rendon expertly works information about Ojibwe culture into the narrative; her author's note explains that ribbon skirts are a "sacred, spiritual, and political" symbol of Indigenous resilience, passed down by generations of women. A radiant and joyful glimpse at an important Native tradition. (Ojibwe glossary, note from Heartdrum founder Cynthia Leitich Smith)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
