Beautiful book, and I appreciate the bi-lingual nature of it. ( )

Caribou Song / atíhko níkamon, illustrated by Brian Deines.

Joe and Cody were two young Cree boys, living with their parents and their pet dog Ootsie on the northern plains of Manitoba. One day, while following the caribou, the brothers performed a caribou song together, Joe playing the kitoochigan (accordion) and Cody singing. Their music summoned the caribou, and soon the boys were surrounded by a majestic herd of more than one thousand of these arctic deer...

Originally published in 2001, with artwork by Brian Deines, Caribou Song / atíhko níkamon was republished in 2013 with new illustrations from John Rombough. The edition I read was the original one, with the artwork of Deines, and it was bilingual, featuring the text in both English and Cree. It's interesting to note that the new edition is trilingual, featuring the story in English, high Cree and a local Cree dialect. Leaving that aside, I found the story here engaging, and appreciated its blend of matter-of-fact telling and almost magical storyline. There is something enchanting about the caribou's appearance, as if summoned by the song, and something very moving about the boys' mother's distress, before she realizes that they weren't crushed by the running herd. The accompanying artwork from Deines has a lovely, luminous quality, and adds to the reading pleasure. This is the first book I have read from Tomson Highway, a Cree author perhaps best known for his plays for adults, but I certainly hope it will not be my last! Recommended to picture-book readers looking for unusual outdoor adventure stories, and to anyone seeking First Nations/Native American stories for children. ( )

Top 100 pick because:

I was surprised by this book. Based on the cover, I must have judged it because I kept putting this book off. I smack myself that I did. I loved it. The spiritual connection between the brothers, their caribou song and dance, and the caribou themselves is a fascinating story to read about. At first glance it seems like a lot of text on each page (where the text is always on the left page and the art on the right), but it is a bilingual book of English and Cree. I wasn't familiar with this illustrative style either and when reading the illustrator John Rombough's bio at the end, it's a beautiful reflection of the Dene peoples. I also have seen his work before, in the 2010 Olympic Games in Canada. It is a distinct style but I don't recall paying a lot of attention to that years games.I think it is a wonderful, interesting take on a traditional folktale. ( )

Written in both English and Cree, this book tells of two boys, Joe and Cody who go looking for the caribou. They both sing a song for the caribou and a giant heard comes to surround them. Illustrated with bright colors and thick lines, the boarders of each page contain images of gods, or spirits looking down upon the scene.

My personal response to the book: I found the book to be an excellent source about the Native Alaskan language and culture. I enjoyed the book so much I purchased it on my own for use with my lessons.
Curricular connections: The curricular connections include Alaska natives, languages and geography.