A heartfelt new picture book by David A Robertson, The Song That Called Them Home, illustrated by Maya McKibbon, is a story about family and little people (Memekwesewak).

Lauren and James are going on a trip on the land with their moshom. They paddle their canoe to their destination and moshom instantly falls asleep from all the hard work. Lauren and James are hungry so they hop back in the canoe to fish but being inexperienced paddlers they drift far out into the lake where they are taken by the Memekwesewak through a portal and are held there dancing for days, weeks, months until they finally hear the call of a drum and a song sung by their moshom.

I love the simplicity of this story. It’s an intergenerational tale with a little bit of story sprinkled in to make a compelling narrative. The children in the story are named after David A. Robertson’s two youngest children and I love how he always adds a bit of himself or his family into every picture book he writes. In the story, it’s moshom who calls the children home with his drum, singing a special song just for them highlighting the great importance that Elders have in all communities but especially in First Nations communities. I love that the two songs, the Memekwesewak song and moshom’s song are both included in the story for those who would like to sing them out.

Lately I have had the pleasure of reading a few different stories by Indigenous authors featuring little people. Called different things in different communities across Turtle Island, it’s a wonderful study in the ways that stories differ from Nation to Nation.

What really makes this book stand out is Maya McKibbon’s stunning illustrations. They are fluid and magical. The pictures instantly draw in readers with the big two page spreads. I especially loved the scenes around the fire and how she captured the view of the children through the fire. I also really appreciated that both Lauren and James were represented in gender non conforming ways. Although they go by she/her and he/him pronouns, their gender expression is not what we typically see in picture books which is such a beautiful gift to readers, to see the way the present themselves reflected back to them is something that I would love to see more of in picture books.