Stolen Words. Melanie Florence. Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, September, 2017. 24 pp., hardcover, $17.95. ISBN 978-1-77260-037-7. Grades 1-4 / Ages 6-9. Review by Bev Brenna. **** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.

excerpt:

Grandpa, she asked, clutching his hand,
spinning under his arm before dropping it again.
How do you say grandfather in Cree?
He stopped breathing for a moment.
A lifetime to a seven year old.

He looked down at her sadly.
I don’t remember, he answered.
I lost my words a long time ago.
A frown clouded her face.
How do you lose words, Grandpa? she asked.
They took them away, he answered.
She thought for a moment.
Where did they take them? she asked.

In this poignant picture book about the devastating legacy of residential schools, author Melanie Florence presents the story of a little girl who re-introduces her grandfather to his first language after he has spent many years without it. A simple text with tremendous emotional impact, the dialogue between child and adult inspires hope for younger generations along with admiration for a resilient and determined man whom we know will succeed in his quest to re-learn what has been lost.

      Gabrielle Grimard’s mixed media illustrations beautifully extend the text, offering sensitive variations in colour to portray different aspects of the story.

      While definitely geared towards young children, Stolen Words is a picture book that older readers will also appreciate for its historical significance, honesty, impactful language, and artful presentation. It was a winner of the Second Story Press Aboriginal Writing Contest and follows Melanie Florence’s other fine work, including the award-winning picture book Missing Nimama.

Highly Recommended.

Bev Brenna’s newest title, Fox Magic, will appear from Red Deer Press this fall. Bev is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, SK.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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