Taking in the Sights of the Seasons

A lovingly descriptive story about the seasons, Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know by Brittany Luby, Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckly and translated by Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere takes readers through the sights and sounds of a year in the life on the land.

Written in English and Anishinaabemowin a child describes their environment and the places and people they love through all the seasons of the year. Each season begins with a question: “How do I know [the season] is here?” The child then begins to explain. Using beautiful descriptions, they explain how the animals, the plants and the sky signal a new season’s arrival. Readers will be eager to share their reflections on the seasons after reading this story. Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know is a story you can return to many times throughout the year as the seasons ebb and flow, rediscovering the feelings and the sights with each new arrival. Readers may notice that the child in the story is not defined as male of female, allowing for more children to be reflected in their experience.

The illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckly are bright and bold and fill the book with double page spreads showing the land sprawling out and the seasons unfolding. With traditional images and an almost stained glass quality to the illustrations, readers will be captivated and want to revisit the story over and over again and find something new each time.

Dual language stories are incredibly important for language preservation and for representation. Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know is accessible to many more readers and represents Anishinaabwmoin readers and English readers within the same book. This story is perfect to share with your youngest readers as well as seasoned veterans. At each stage of a readers life there is understanding a depth to take away from this beautiful story.