Book
Shi-shi-etko
Record details
- ISBN: 9781773061269
- ISBN: 9780888996596
-
Physical Description:
1 volume (unpaged) : colour illustrations ; 21 cm
regular print
print - Publisher: Toronto : Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, [2005]
- Copyright: ©2005.
-
Badges:
- Top Holds Over Last 5 Years: 3 / 5.0
Content descriptions
| Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader 4.4. |
| Awards Note: | Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Picture books. Fiction. |
| Topic Heading: | Aboriginal First Nations Adrienne Gear: Reading power. Indigenous collection. |
Available copies
- 25 of 28 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Smithers Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 28 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithers Public Library | E CAM (Text) | 35101001001366 | Children's room | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2005 November #1
Gr. 2-4. Using gentle rounded shapes and rich autumnal colors, LaFave captures the events that take place during the three days before a young Canadian girl must leave her home. Author Campbell's foreword explains the harsh government policies that, until 1984, separated Native American children as young as four from their parents, though her story conveys only that Shi-shi-etko, whose name means "she loves to play in the water," is going away to school. Before she leaves, the girl visits the creek with her mother, goes canoeing with her father, and collects sprigs from trees with her grandmother. The loving adults urge her to treasure these memories, and the girl looks and listens carefully. Without dwelling on the impending separation, the lyrical text is, nevertheless, poignant, as is the last picture of children in the back of a pickup truck driving away. Although Shi-shi-etko appears to be about five or six, the audience for her story will be slightly older children, who can grasp the implications of her fate and understand that the story takes place in the past. ((Reviewed November 1, 2005)) Copyright 2005 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2005 September #1
A young Native American child prepares to leave home and family for compulsory Indian School in this quietly poetic Canadian import. On each of her last three days, Shi-shi-etko ("She Loves To Play In The Water") goes out with a different adult to gather impressions of her people's ways and the natural world around her: standing in a creek, listening to her mother singing, for instance, she "memorized each shiny rock, / the sand beneath her feet, / crayfish and minnows and tadpoles." On succeeding days she does the same with her father and her Yayah (grandmother), promising herself that she will not forget. Using a palette of saturated blues and rich autumnal reds and golds, LaFave places a child in modern dress (as the author explains in a foreword, the last Indian boarding school in Canada did not close until 1984) within landscapes whose strong, curving lines evoke subdued but intense feelings underlying this poignant tale of taking leave. Except in the foreword, Campbell never mentions where the child is going-so Shi-shi-etko's sadness and determination will also resonate with any child who's had to leave a familiar world behind. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus 2005 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Library Media Connection : Library Media Connection - February 2006
One of the first things readers will notice is the 3-D-like quality of the brightly colored illustrations in this book. The second thing that makes it special is the fact that the story is based on little known true events. In the past, Native American children were taken from their families when they were five or six, usually, and sent to residential schools to learn culture and religion. In fact, parents were arrested if they did not send their children, and the last residential school wasn't closed until 1984. This book tells how a little Native American girl, Shi-shi-etko, prepares for her journey to the school. Her mother tells her to remember the songs and dances of her people. Her father asks her to remember the natural surroundings of the area where her people live. Her grandmother helps her make a memory bag, which she hides in the roots of a tree. Shi-shi-etko looks carefully at everything and promises herself that she will remember it all. Recommended. Janet Luch, Educational Reviewer; Adjunct Professor, SUNY New Paltz, New York and Touro College, New York; Faculty Member, University of Phoenix © 2006 Linworth Publishing, Inc. - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2005 November
Gr 2-6 -This is a moving story set in Canada about the practice of removing Native children from their villages and sending them to residential schools to learn the English language and culture. An introduction explains that governments believed Native people were ignorant and made laws to "educate" their children. Shi-shi-etko counts down her last four days before going away. She tries to memorize everything about her home-"tall grass swaying to the rhythm of the breeze, determined mosquitoes, working bumblebees." There is a family party to say good-bye. Her father takes her out in a canoe and implores her to remember the trees, the water, and the mountains, and her grandmother gives her a small bag made of deer hide in which to keep her memories. The vivid, digital illustrations rely on a red palette, evoking not only the land but also the sorrow of the situation and the hope upon which the story ultimately ends. This contemplative narrative will help children see how Native people have been treated in both Canada and the United States. A good choice to enhance units on Native North American cultures.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
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