The many attributes of water. [Nibi is Water/nibi aawon nbiish by Joanne Robertson]
The second book I've read from Canadian Publisher Second Story Press, Nibi is Water/nibi aawon nbiish by Joanne Robertson is a dual language children's book (in both Ojibwe and English) highlighting the role of water in everyday life. Per the description, Nibi is Water/nibi aawon nbiish (NAN) is written from the perspective of an Anishinaabe water protector's perspective. This is also the second book I've read since joining NetGalley that focuses on matters pertaining to and is targeted towards a First Nations audience. Previously I read kimotinâniwiw itwêwina / Stolen Words by Melanie Florence, a book that while centering the Cree language was also targeted towards a younger demographic.
Because of my previous read I was expecting a story that integrated and bridged languages, especially since the description gives the context of the perspective of the author. Children's fiction however includes a wide array of age and cultural subsets. And so where Stolen Words might be targeted towards older children, inviting receptive readers to learn more about their ties to their cultural identity and respective language, NAN might be best suited to those young children who already have a base familiarity with the Ojibwe language looking for or needing to expand their vocabulary. I imagine NAN would be a choice book for reading time between a younger child and a parent or supervising adult.
With colorful and playful pictures correlating to words and phrases, NAN is an educational picture book with splendid visual cues reinforcing bilingual comprehension. Being that the bulk of the book is Ojibwe-English translation and their respective illustrations my main critique is the respectively subdued emphasis on pronunciation. A pronunciation guide is available at the end of the text, but unless there is a base familiarity with the Ojibwe language there's no real way ensure proper pronunciation and thereby learning. This could very well be a strong introduction point into the language, but I would love to see the option to buy this book in and with a complementary audiobook format. I also would have loved more background on the author's role as a water protector. Would that I could give fractions of stars but I can't. Still, I am giving this a very strong 4 stars.
Nibi is Water/nibi aawon nbiish by Joanne Robertson is set to be published April 2020.
With colorful and playful pictures correlating to words and phrases, NAN is an educational picture book with splendid visual cues reinforcing bilingual comprehension. Being that the bulk of the book is Ojibwe-English translation and their respective illustrations my main critique is the respectively subdued emphasis on pronunciation. A pronunciation guide is available at the end of the text, but unless there is a base familiarity with the Ojibwe language there's no real way ensure proper pronunciation and thereby learning. This could very well be a strong introduction point into the language, but I would love to see the option to buy this book in and with a complementary audiobook format. I also would have loved more background on the author's role as a water protector. Would that I could give fractions of stars but I can't. Still, I am giving this a very strong 4 stars.
Nibi is Water/nibi aawon nbiish by Joanne Robertson is set to be published April 2020.
Comments
Post a Comment