Brenda J. Child

This book is about a girl and the dog she finds going to the end of summer powwow with her uncle. When they get to the powwow, the girl spends a lot of time enjoying herself at the powwow. She eventually falls asleep and dreams about powwows and what they mean and the history behind them. When she wakes up she has a better understanding and respect for the powwow she gets to attend at the end of summer. I would use this book in a 2nd grade classroom. Each page has the words translated into Red Lake Ojibwe which could be confusing for some younger children.… (mer)

This book is beautifully written and illustrated with vivid colors and pictures. It's about a little Ojibwe girl who gathers stories from her uncle about traditions from a long time ago, dances, sharing, and thankfulness. Her uncle's stories about the pow-wow ceremony inspire her to dream about a bow-wow pow-wow where all the dancers are dogs. In her dream, she sees traditional dancers, grass dancers, fancy dancers, and jingle dress dancers. She learns the important meaning behind a pow-wow. We celebrate the songs, dances, our people, healing, and history.… (mer)

This story combines past and present representation of Ojibwe culture through the eyes of a little girl and her dog. During a Powwow, she imagines the history of her people told by her uncle with one little twist; the people are replaced by dogs walking on two legs in traditional clothing with traditional weapons.

Typical representation of Native Americans usually consists of only telling the past from a very straight-forward perspective, but this story combines history with a playful story. It is refreshing to see Native Americans portrayed as they are today rather than only seen as peoples of the past.… (mer)