Niwîcihâw / I Help - (Nohkom) by Caitlin Dale Nicholson (Paperback)

About the Book

This classic story in Cree and English about a young child picking rosehips in the woods with his grandmother has been updated and is available as a paperback for the first time.

Book Synopsis

"Textured acrylic paintings, done in rich earth tones...portray the sanctity of the natural environment...a sensitive, respectful portrayal of contemporary Native Americans." -- School Library Journal

This simple story in Cree and English explores a young child's relationship to his grandmother, or nôkhom, as they go for a walk in the woods to pick rosehips. The young boy follows his grandmother, walking, listening, picking, praying and eating, just as she does. In doing so, he absorbs the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage.

Caitlin Dale Nicholson's acrylic-on-canvas illustrations portray the close relationship between the boy and his grandmother and the natural beauty of the bush. Her text has been translated into Cree by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was also the inspiration for niwîcihâw / I Help.

Formerly titled Niwechihaw / I Help, this revised paperback edition features updated text, including Cree syllabics in addition to standard roman orthography and English.

Key Text Features
recipe

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

Review Quotes

...acrylic-on-canvas paintings give a dream-like feel to the story, making it almost a nostalgic look at childhood...Recommended.-- "CM: Canadian Review of Materials"

...a quiet narrative...broad brush strokes and blurred colours conveying light and atmosphere as much as personality...the simple verbs in present tense provide a wealth of clues about the workings of the Cree language.-- "Toronto Star"

Textured acrylic paintings, done in rich earth tones...portray the sanctity of the natural environment...a sensitive, respectful portrayal of contemporary Native Americans.-- "School Library Journal"