The First Blade of Sweetgrass
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Selected for the Notable Social Studies 2022 List
Named to ALA Notable Children's Books 2022
In this Own Voices Native American picture book story, a modern Wabanaki girl is excited to accompany her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making.
Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, but slowly the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations. This sweet, authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Emphasizing the importance of conservation and tradition in Native culture, married authors Greenlaw (who is Maliseet) and Frey (who is Passamaquoddy) expertly craft a sweet story that centers a Wabanaki grandmother and granddaughter. At a salt marsh, dark-haired Musqon's grandmother teaches her how to harvest purple-stemmed sweetgrass, as her own grandmother once taught her. "Our people have been coming here to pick sweetgrass for generations," says Grandmother; "we use it in ceremony as well as baskets. Sweetgrass is a spiritual medicine for us." Musqon initially struggles to pull the right blades in a sea of identical-seeming grasses, but by taking her time, "get to know" the plant's specifics, and connecting with nature and her ancestors, she discovers the secret—and does her part to make sure "there will be sweetgrass here for the next generation." Baker's earth-toned illustrations feature soft edges, subtle colors, and braided sweetgrass borders, while lyrical text renders experience in evocative sensory prose ("the thin whine of mosquitos grew distant"). The result is a deeply personal, thoughtfully detailed account. Back matter includes an authors' note with information on basket-making and a glossary of Passamaquoddy-Maliseet words. Ages 6–8.
