Illustrator Leslie Stall Widener (Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache) makes her debut as an author with Kindred Spirits, a moving, uplifting picture book about the power of empathy. Complementing Widener's text is the enchanting acrylic paint artwork of Navajo painter, bronze sculptor, and illustrator Johnson Yazzie (Yossel's Journey).
Widener tells a pay-it-forward tale through poetry accompanied by sidebars with background details. Starting in Ireland in 1847, she recounts the famine that took the lives of more than a million people. Four thousand miles away, the people of the Choctaw Nation learn of the Irish tragedy. Despite their own troubles, the Choctaw people donate a substantial sum of money to help the Irish farmers "in honor of the injustice/ suffered by both Nations./ Shilombish ittibachvffa./ Those who feel the same./ Kindred spirits." Widener then brings her readers to the 21st century, as the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the Navajo and Hopi Nations. This time, "more than twenty-six thousand Irish people/ donate--many citing the Choctaw-Irish connection,/ honoring their ancestors/ and showing how one act of kindness can grow."
A citizen of the Choctaw Nation herself, Widener relates this inspiring saga with reverence and beauty, constructing an accessible history for young readers that highlights the spectacular results of empathy and compassion. Yazzie's art features striking, near-fluorescent colors and a multitude of textures. His figures are contained within a thick, black line often outlined by another, lighter color that acts to focus the eye on the human figures. While Kindred Spirits is intended for young readers, it is a gift for audiences of all ages and should be a staple in anyone's library. --Jen Forbus, freelancer