Sixteen of today's most skilled Indigenous children's authors join forces in this anthology of richly varied, loosely interconnected stories all centered on an intertribal powwow, "where our hearts beat as one/ to the thump of the drum."
From as far away as La Conner, Wash., and Durant, Okla., kids make the trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow. They are Cree and Choctaw, Ojibwe and Navajo, Coast Salish and Cherokee. The stories' broad assortment of family makeups, backgrounds and conflicts underscores the diversity of the Indigenous experience. Even so, overarching themes emerge around the importance of family, the solace of tradition and community, and growing personally through supporting others. This uplifting assembly affirms the vitality of Indigenous life today and offers accessible situations and characters to all young readers. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager at Main Branch, Dayton Metro Library