The First Blade of Sweetgrass

Name: The First Blade of Sweetgrass
Brand: Unknown
SKU: 9780884487609
Price: 35.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey

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4.11

( 462 ratings, 130 reviews)

Summary

The First Blade of Sweetgrass by Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey is a beautifully illustrated children's book that follows a young girl named Musqon, who learns the tradition of harvesting sweetgrass with her grandmother. Set against an enchanting natural backdrop, the story gently explores themes of cultural heritage, family bonds, and the respectful relationship with nature in the Indigenous community.
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Format: Hardback

$35⁹⁹

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The First Blade of Sweetgrass

$35⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate stories that celebrate intergenerational relationships and cultural traditions, weaving together themes of nature, heritage, and family bonds in a beautifully illustrated children's tale.

The First Blade of Sweetgrass

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.

An Own Voices Native American story.

Description

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.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The First Blade of Sweetgrass by Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey has been lauded for its heartfelt portrayal of cultural traditions and ecological awareness in Native culture, particularly among the Wabanaki people. Reviewers highlight its lyrical storytelling and evocative, earth-toned illustrations that complement the tranquil and educational narrative. The book is praised for its ability to teach children about patience, tradition, and the importance of ecological stewardship through a tender tale of a girl learning from her grandmother.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780884487609

Publisher: Tilbury House,U.S.

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 18 April 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Tilbury House,U.S.

Illustration: color throughout

Contributors:

Illustrated by Nancy Baker

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 239.0mm

Height: 264.0mm

Weight: 441g

Pages: 32

Collections

Children's Books Children's Picture Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Gabriel Frey Suzanne Greenlaw

About the Author

Suzanne Greenlaw (Orono, ME) is Maliseet and a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. A PhD candidate in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine, she works to restore Wabanaki stewardship practices across various land tenure systems throughout Maine. Gabriel Frey (Orono, ME) is Passamaquoddy and a citizen of Passamaquoddy at Sipayik. He is an awarded-winning basket maker, artist, and cultural knowledge keeper. His mother and Suzanne and Gabriel’s two daughters, Musqon and Alamossit, helped inspire The First Blade of Sweetgrass. Nancy Baker (Thomaston, ME) is a Maine artist, illustrator, and muralist whose landscapes, still lifes, and figurative works in oils and pastels are represented by Mars Hall Gallery in Tenants Harbor, Maine. While visiting the sweetgrass meadows of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park with Suzanne and Gabriel, authors of The First Blade of Sweetgrass, Nancy learned the ecology and cultural importance of sweetgrass and witnessed the majesty of the landscape in which it grows, qualities that she has worked to convey in her illustrations.