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The First Blade of Sweetgrass
Selected for the Notable Social Studies 2022 List
Named to ALA Notable Children's Books 2022
In this Own Voices Native American picture book story, a modern Wabanaki girl is excited to accompany her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making.
Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, but slowly the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations. This sweet, authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.
Named to ALA Notable Children's Books 2022
In this Own Voices Native American picture book story, a modern Wabanaki girl is excited to accompany her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making.
Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, but slowly the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations. This sweet, authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
July 28, 2021
I heard of the book Braiding Sweetgrass last year through a few people that I follow on Booktube. While I haven't had the opportunity to read that book yet, I was instantaneously drawn to this title because I thought it would cover the importance of sweetgrass to First Nations in a way that is accessible to children. I was right, yet this book was so peaceful and calming on a spiritual level that I did not anticipate. It focuses on Musquon who travels with her grandmother to pick her very first blades of sweetgrass. Because sweetgrass is not cultivated, Musquon has to learn how to identify it from the rest of the marsh grasses. She quickly grows impatient and frustrated at her inability to do so, but finds solace when she stills/quiets her body and connects with her ancestors. As Musquon did this I felt my own inner peace and calm. There were a variety of lessons in this picture book that tied back to the traditions of the Wabanaki Confederacy. I not only learned a lot, but appreciated the simplicity with which this story was told. Traditionally, I wouldn't have been a fan of the art which was crafted with what appears to be pastels or maybe colored pencils; however, the simplicity of the art matched the feel of the story and the scenes that captured the marsh as well as the creatures in the marsh were beautiful. There are even illustrations that indicate the difference between the sweetgrass and the other grasses. I highly recommend checking this picture book out or adding it to your collection.
September 20, 2021
A soothingly and gently illustrated and told story of Musquon, who goes with her grandmother to the salt marsh to pick her very first blades of sweetgrass.
Written by a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation, this picture book is about the centuries-old Native or First Nations traditions regarding sweetgrass passed down to a new generation. I like the inclusion of the native language in the text, and I liked learning about the process of finding and braiding and sharing sweetgrass. I like it when Musquon finally figures out how to gather sweetgrass when she makes a connection with her ancestors.
Useful appendices for educating kids on traditions and sweetgrass ceremonies in particular.
Written by a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation, this picture book is about the centuries-old Native or First Nations traditions regarding sweetgrass passed down to a new generation. I like the inclusion of the native language in the text, and I liked learning about the process of finding and braiding and sharing sweetgrass. I like it when Musquon finally figures out how to gather sweetgrass when she makes a connection with her ancestors.
Useful appendices for educating kids on traditions and sweetgrass ceremonies in particular.
August 17, 2021
Musqon accompanies her grandmother to the salt marsh where they are going to pick sweetgrass. The salt marsh is where the river meets the ocean. Her grandmother explains that she helped her own grandmother pick sweetgrass as a girl to weave into baskets and use in ceremonies. To Musqon, all of the grasses look the same, so her grandmother shows her what to look for to find sweetgrass among all the other grasses. She explains that they never pick the first blade of sweetgrass that they see, to make sure that sweetgrass continues to the next generation. When her grandmother tells her that sweetgrass has a shiny green tassel and blades with a purple stem and that it is easy to pick, Musqon is confident she can find it on her own. It isn’t until Musqon takes her time, thinks about what she is there to do, and really sees the salt marsh that she can find sweetgrass herself.
Written by a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation, this picture book is a gentle story of Native traditions shared with a new generation. The text of the book shares Passamaquoddy-Maliseet words in the dialogue of the characters. It takes the time, slowing us all down, to explain the importance of sweetgrass and how to find it. The moment when Musqon takes her own time and gives herself space is beautifully created.
Baker learned about sweetgrass for this book also the landscape in which it grows. She shows a delicacy with both in her illustrations, celebrating sweetgrass itself and also showing the beautiful landscape where the river meets the ocean.
A rich and vital look at sweetgrass and heritage. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Written by a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation, this picture book is a gentle story of Native traditions shared with a new generation. The text of the book shares Passamaquoddy-Maliseet words in the dialogue of the characters. It takes the time, slowing us all down, to explain the importance of sweetgrass and how to find it. The moment when Musqon takes her own time and gives herself space is beautifully created.
Baker learned about sweetgrass for this book also the landscape in which it grows. She shows a delicacy with both in her illustrations, celebrating sweetgrass itself and also showing the beautiful landscape where the river meets the ocean.
A rich and vital look at sweetgrass and heritage. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
December 26, 2021
So beautiful!!!
April 5, 2022
CADL FB Live story time 04-04-2022
September 8, 2021
I will first admit that I am a huge fan of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants and was so pleased to see Robin Wall Kimmerer quoted on the back of the book, emphasizing this story's depiction of the connections between people, plants, and place.
I feel that this story of The First Blade of Sweetgrass is important on many levels.
First, I welcome any and all #OwnVoices Native American books--it's an important and much-needed contribution to children's picture books.
Second, I love the inter-generational story depicted here, connecting a grandmother and her granddaughter Musqon through a meaningful activity (picking sweetgrass) that connects Musqon not just to her grandmother but to all of her ancestors.
Third, the tangible and heartfelt depiction of the concept of the Honorable Harvest cannot be understated. The Honorable Harvest, which applies to any human-and-Earth exchange, is described at length in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer:
Ask permission of the ones whose lives you seek. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last.
Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Take only what you need and leave some for others.
Use everything that you take.
Take only that which is given to you.
Share it, as the Earth has shared with you.
Be grateful.
Reciprocate the gift.
Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the Earth will last forever.
Musqon learns the value of the Honorable Harvest both from her grandmother's instructions but also through her own trail-and-error experience. One can hope that the children reading this story will be inspired to do the same.
Last, the illustrations, with their muted and natural hues, do a lovely job of inviting you in to the experience of Musqon and the beauty of the act of picking sweetgrass. It seems like such a simple thing, but it's not. The act of reading and listening to stories like these will hopefully open our hearts to something rich and lasting: gratitude, harmony, and love.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
I feel that this story of The First Blade of Sweetgrass is important on many levels.
First, I welcome any and all #OwnVoices Native American books--it's an important and much-needed contribution to children's picture books.
Second, I love the inter-generational story depicted here, connecting a grandmother and her granddaughter Musqon through a meaningful activity (picking sweetgrass) that connects Musqon not just to her grandmother but to all of her ancestors.
Third, the tangible and heartfelt depiction of the concept of the Honorable Harvest cannot be understated. The Honorable Harvest, which applies to any human-and-Earth exchange, is described at length in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer:
Ask permission of the ones whose lives you seek. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last.
Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Take only what you need and leave some for others.
Use everything that you take.
Take only that which is given to you.
Share it, as the Earth has shared with you.
Be grateful.
Reciprocate the gift.
Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the Earth will last forever.
Musqon learns the value of the Honorable Harvest both from her grandmother's instructions but also through her own trail-and-error experience. One can hope that the children reading this story will be inspired to do the same.
Last, the illustrations, with their muted and natural hues, do a lovely job of inviting you in to the experience of Musqon and the beauty of the act of picking sweetgrass. It seems like such a simple thing, but it's not. The act of reading and listening to stories like these will hopefully open our hearts to something rich and lasting: gratitude, harmony, and love.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
December 10, 2022
I love how this book presents a native activity in the present with authenticity. Some students in my community can relate to it as we have famous weavers near us who use cedar and grass (Cowlitz, Chehalis, Squaxin, etc). With some students this may take a couple of reads before they can fully comprehend. We paused to talk about who the next generation is in the story. When I pointed out that it was their children and their grandchildren they were surprised. Had they thought about their grandchildren? Some students were touched by the idea of leaving something for the future. Most of them thought of cookies as examples. Out of 17 classes, one class seemed to understand *3rd graders* that we were talking about resources and how we would be so much better off if our ancestors had left something for us or considered us, but that it was not to late to consider our descendants. That was a powerful moment.
December 2, 2022
I like calm, reflective pace of this picture book alongside the muted illustrations. Great themes of tradition and family heritage and paying attention to details in nature.
March 30, 2024
Native American Heritage Month: book number 7.
August 4, 2021
This picture book is a 3.5 for me. Softly-colored illustrations created with oils and pastels accompany simple but meaningful text that gently tells a story of how a tradition is passed down from one generation to the next one. Musqon eagerly accompanies her grandmother to the salt marsh where they will harvest sweetgrass for baskets, but what might seem to be a simple task requires skill and patience. As often happens in such situations, Grandmother shares stories about the sweetgrass and how her own grandmother taught her how to choose the grasses and then demonstrates how to identify which grass to pick. Musqon is sure that it can't be that hard to distinguish among the various grasses in the marsh, but as it turns out, she is unsuccessful in picking sweetgrass. Her patient grandmother demonstrates again and urges her to spend time getting to know each plant before choosing the grass she wants to pick. Attuned with nature and also thinking about her ancestors and this tradition she is honoring, Musqon is able to find the sweetgrass she seeks. One important point stressed by her grandmother was that she not pick the first blade she sees but leave it for another time and another year, an excellent lesson in generosity and sustainability. The text offers much upon which to reflect. Back matter includes notes from the authors as well as a glossary of Passamaquoddy-Maliseet words.
November 29, 2021
‘The First Blade of Sweetgrass’ by Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey, illustrations by Nancy Baker, tells the story of Musqon and her grandmother as they pick grass for basket making. Musqon must learn how to properly tell the various grasses apart, and her grandmother gives her tips and tricks to do so. The story delves into the tradition of the art of picking grass, harkening back to Musqon’s ancestors who used to pick sweetgrass themselves. It also details the future of her people, as she leaves the first blade of sweetgrass for the coming generations, so they will have their own sweetgrass to pick and stories to tell.
The illustrations are beautiful and mesmerizing as they take readers right into the story, feeling as though they’re present with Musqon and her grandmother during the grass picking. Images of baskets that contain the picked sweetgrass are shown, and the beauty of the land is clearly evident in the picturesque pages.
It was especially nice to see a glossary and some back matter about the story behind the book, including how sweetgrass is used beyond basket making. It is a beautiful tale of tradition, coming of age, and family.
Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels
*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*
The illustrations are beautiful and mesmerizing as they take readers right into the story, feeling as though they’re present with Musqon and her grandmother during the grass picking. Images of baskets that contain the picked sweetgrass are shown, and the beauty of the land is clearly evident in the picturesque pages.
It was especially nice to see a glossary and some back matter about the story behind the book, including how sweetgrass is used beyond basket making. It is a beautiful tale of tradition, coming of age, and family.
Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels
*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*
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May 1, 2024A young Native American girl, Musqon, embarks on her first sweetgrass harvest under the guidance of her grandmother. She learns about the importance of this traditional practice to her people, the Passamaquoddy, and how it connects them to the land.
The First Blade of Sweetgrass explores the preservation of Native American traditions, personal growth, the relationship between humans and nature, and intergenerational bonds.
Discussion Questions
1. How does Musqon's relationship with her grandmother influence her understanding of her cultural heritage?
2. What does harvesting sweetgrass represent in the story, and why is it significant to Musqon and her community?
3. How does the author show the connection between the Passamaquoddy people and their natural environment?
4. Discuss how Musqon's emotions change throughout the book. What do you think brings about these changes?
5. Why does Musqon need to learn about sweetgrass harvesting at a young age?
6. How does the story demonstrate the importance of passing down traditions from one generation to the next?
7. What is the role of nature in your own life? How does it compare to Musqon's life?
The First Blade of Sweetgrass explores the preservation of Native American traditions, personal growth, the relationship between humans and nature, and intergenerational bonds.
Discussion Questions
1. How does Musqon's relationship with her grandmother influence her understanding of her cultural heritage?
2. What does harvesting sweetgrass represent in the story, and why is it significant to Musqon and her community?
3. How does the author show the connection between the Passamaquoddy people and their natural environment?
4. Discuss how Musqon's emotions change throughout the book. What do you think brings about these changes?
5. Why does Musqon need to learn about sweetgrass harvesting at a young age?
6. How does the story demonstrate the importance of passing down traditions from one generation to the next?
7. What is the role of nature in your own life? How does it compare to Musqon's life?
June 17, 2021
A young indigenous girl is taught by her grandmother how to pick sweetgrass. Since it is a wild plant, not cultivated, she must learnt o spot it in the wild where it grows. The title comes from the saying that when you find your first blade of sweetgrass, you must leave it, so there is at least one blade untouched.
The girl, at first, can't tell the sweet grass from the other native grasses, but her grandmother shows her, and then she sees the sprits of her ancestors, and the sweet grass shows itself to her.
The illustrations are wonderful, as well, and show what the different grasses look like. The Illustrator said she went to where the grasses grew, so she could get a sense of how to draw the story.
A wonderful story about passing down traditions.
The authors are Maliseet and Passamaquoddy. They have included common words used in the story in the back of the book, as well as more information about Sweet Grass, and the baskets that were made with it.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
The girl, at first, can't tell the sweet grass from the other native grasses, but her grandmother shows her, and then she sees the sprits of her ancestors, and the sweet grass shows itself to her.
The illustrations are wonderful, as well, and show what the different grasses look like. The Illustrator said she went to where the grasses grew, so she could get a sense of how to draw the story.
A wonderful story about passing down traditions.
The authors are Maliseet and Passamaquoddy. They have included common words used in the story in the back of the book, as well as more information about Sweet Grass, and the baskets that were made with it.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
February 2, 2022
Learning how to identify and pick sweetgrass from her grandmother feels like a most special time. Throughout this story by husband and wife Suzanne Greenlaw, Maliseet, and Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy, readers will learn the why of the picking along with the history and uses of it in long years past to the present. Musqon, the young girl you see on the cover has gone along with her grandmother, whom she calls Uhkomi, to the salt marsh, where the river meets the ocean. That is where the special sweetgrass grows. Beautiful illustrations of this story by Nancy Baker help Musqon, and us readers, learn how to identify the sweetgrass, its uses, and its important tribal history. She gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations. There is added information by Greenlaw and Frey at the back that also includes a glossary of the Passamaquoddy - Maliseet words used in the story.
October 11, 2022
**This book is being considered as a nominee for next year’s Beehive Book Award for Children in Utah. My review reflects my thoughts as it pertains to that consideration.**
This book has the dubious honor of being the first picture book (to my memory) I DNF'd a picture book. If I'm bored reading a picture book, does anyone honestly think that a kid is going to enjoy reading it?
Absolutely not.
The Beehive Award nominees are voted on by kids. The books should appeal to kids. Not just be pretty picture books to impress adults. That's why I love the Beehive Awards. It makes me look at a book through the eyes of a child and ask if a kid is going to choose to read, rather than being required to do it, like you're shoving brussels sprouts in their face and making them eat it.
This is a brussels sprouts book. 100%
This book has the dubious honor of being the first picture book (to my memory) I DNF'd a picture book. If I'm bored reading a picture book, does anyone honestly think that a kid is going to enjoy reading it?
Absolutely not.
The Beehive Award nominees are voted on by kids. The books should appeal to kids. Not just be pretty picture books to impress adults. That's why I love the Beehive Awards. It makes me look at a book through the eyes of a child and ask if a kid is going to choose to read, rather than being required to do it, like you're shoving brussels sprouts in their face and making them eat it.
This is a brussels sprouts book. 100%
July 29, 2023
Beautiful art and insight into a a Passamaquoddy-Maliseet girl and her grandmother. The Wabanaki confederacy is the umbrella name for these tribes. It is made up of multiple tribes that cover Maine, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The grandmother teaches her granddaughter to identify sweetgrass, amongst the other grasses that grow by the shore, and harvest it so that they can make baskets to sell. The use of Passamquoddy-Maliseet words in the text allow us to learn 6 words and their pronunciation. The oil pastel pictures show the beautiful landscapes and highlight the importance of this ritual to connect the girl, Musquon to her ancestors.
This picture book will be one I use to teach the Native American unit for 4th graders.
This picture book will be one I use to teach the Native American unit for 4th graders.
December 20, 2021
Musquon is excited for her first trip with her grandmother to pick sweetgrass. Grandmother patiently shows her how to find the sweetgrass, and reminds her to not pick the first blade. But her impatience and lack of attention proves frustrating until Musquon settles into the solitude and spirit of the place her ancestors have picked the grass for generations/ Soon, Musquon is picking the sweetgrass as they did.
I loved the message, I loved the story, and the illustrations are so beautiful! Includes a Wabanaki glossary and information on traditional basketmaking.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
I loved the message, I loved the story, and the illustrations are so beautiful! Includes a Wabanaki glossary and information on traditional basketmaking.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
January 5, 2022
Illustrated in oils and pastel, the landscapes really drew me in. Everything about this book says "gentle" - the pacing, the illustrations, and the story itself. Uhkomi (the grandmother) is teaching her grandaughter Musqon how to patiently and sustainably harvest sweetgrass. It almost has a meditative quality to it. This is a great read-together book, especially for those who live near sweetgrass.
The backmatter includes a note from the authors discussing their nations and the cultural practices around sweetgrass. It also includes a list of Passamoquoddy-Maliseet words with link to learn how to pronounce them (https://pmportal.org). This is an ownvoices book (authors, not illustrator).
The backmatter includes a note from the authors discussing their nations and the cultural practices around sweetgrass. It also includes a list of Passamoquoddy-Maliseet words with link to learn how to pronounce them (https://pmportal.org). This is an ownvoices book (authors, not illustrator).
December 14, 2022
This book is lovely. It's simple enough for young readers and teaches some important lessons. Picking sweetgrass emphasises tradition: the grandmother picked sweet grass when she was a girl, she picks it now, her ancestors picked it, she's teaching her granddaughter to pick it. There's also an important environmental lesson here. They never choose the first blade they see or the last to conserve the grass for future generations.
The back of the book contains a brief author's note and small glossary with a link to learn more words.
The illustrations are beautiful and appealing to adults but I don't know if a kid would like these soft watercolor slightly impressionst illustrations.
The back of the book contains a brief author's note and small glossary with a link to learn more words.
The illustrations are beautiful and appealing to adults but I don't know if a kid would like these soft watercolor slightly impressionst illustrations.
August 29, 2021
A soft and beautiful tale of a young girl learning to pick and braid sweetgrass. Her grandmother gently guides her to recognize the plant, and how best to steward the resource so there is always sweetgrass to pick. Toward the end, they talk about learning how to braid the sweetgrass into baskets. There's a lovely connection between grandparent and grandchild, and a nice reminder throughout that the cultural presence of environmental responsibility and the creation of beautiful things is still going strong.
March 31, 2022
I loved reading about the traditions and importance of sweetgrass to the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Passamaquody-Maliseet words wove through the story seamlessly and helped bring the story to life. I also enjoyed that a lot of factual information was shared in such a natural way through a conversation between a girl and her grandmother.
My only “complaint” with the book is that I think the characters’ voices could have been stronger or more unique. The sentences were clear and easy to understand; I just would have preferred a bit more personality in how Musquon and her grandmother talked.
My only “complaint” with the book is that I think the characters’ voices could have been stronger or more unique. The sentences were clear and easy to understand; I just would have preferred a bit more personality in how Musquon and her grandmother talked.
April 17, 2022
Greenlaw is a citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians; her husban Gabriel Frey is a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation. They live in Maine. The pastel and oil paintings beautifully depict the marsh lands where the sweetgrass grows. In this sweet story, a little girl, Musqon, accompanies her grandmother to gather sweetgrass for the grandmother's baskets. Grandmother teaches her how to distinguish sweetgrass from all the other grasses, so she can help gather it. An author's note tells a little more about the importance of sweetgrass, and lists 6 Passamaquoddy-Maliseet words.
June 24, 2022
Sweet story about a girl and her grandmother going to pick sweetgrass so baskets can be weaved. The grandmother is patient and kind as her granddaughter struggles to pick the sweetgrass. Not only do we get a wonderful story of a girl and her grandmother, but we get Native American history. We get an understanding of how things are done. We get a story about preservation, not only of resources, but of culture. The back gives more information about the people in the book for those readers who are hungry for more.
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October 4, 2022Musquon is being shown how to pull out sweetgrass and not mistake it for anything else. She starts pulling and when she shows her grandma she says no, let me show you again. Musquon takes it seriously the second time and can see her ancestors helping, then when she looks, the sweetgrass is greener than the rest. She knows not to pick the first one she sees to ensure there will be more next year. I could read this to my class and ask if their family has something like this or a tradition that is passed down through generations.
August 13, 2021
Lovely and thoughtful tribute to an important tradition. A grandmother teaches her granddaughter how to find and pick sweetgrass for basket making. Illustrations are done in soothing earth tones.
Back matter includes more information on the Wabanaki Confederacy and people and the tradition of using sweetgrass for basket making. Also includes a short glossary of Passamaquoddy and Maliseet words.
Back matter includes more information on the Wabanaki Confederacy and people and the tradition of using sweetgrass for basket making. Also includes a short glossary of Passamaquoddy and Maliseet words.
September 20, 2021
Nice book to read aloud with your child. It shows passing of traditions from one generation to another. Of interest to those who like to read about Native Americans (Own Voices), generational love and learning, and basket makers. It's too long for me to use in a preschool storytime, my main interest in children's literature, but would be a perfect personal one for those children who want to hear a story from their caregiver or adult.
October 18, 2022
This book is very cute and talks about connecting with family- in the past, present, and future. In the book, Musquon goes with her grandmother to harvest sweetgrass. In the book, they leave the first blade alone so it can continue to grow for future generations. Musquon connects with her heritage and the nature around her. This would be a good book to have in the classroom because it talks about family traditions and connecting to one's culture.
March 24, 2023
The illustrations in the book look like they were sketches that were never finished, not my favorite type of drawings. This reading is educational about the Native Americans and their traditions. Picking sweet grass is something that has been done for generations and is used as a medicine. It also goes into depth about how to pick the sweet grass and how to determine what is what is not sweet grass. This book could be a wonderful way to introduce Native American education in the classroom.
May 16, 2023
A sweet story of a grandmother teaching her granddaughter how to harvest sweet grass for the first time, this is the first picture book I have read representing the Wabanaki Confederacy, of which my married family is a part (Abenaki). The note in the end especially moved me, and I am delighted to have this to share with my children, to bring with us to share with family when we visit their great grandparents in Vermont. Thank you for this sweet gift.
October 20, 2023
This story follows Musquon, who goes with her grandmother to pick her very first blades of sweetgrass. At first, Musquon's impatience gets the best of her, but when she finally takes her time and closes her eyes for a moment, she is able to find the patience she needs to pick her first blades of sweetgrass. This story highlights the importance of taking your time and slowing down while also teaching the reader about sweetgrass ceremonies and traditions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews