Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome

by Nancy Cooper (Author) Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Illustrator)

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Busy beavers have a family reunion in this story that celebrates Indigenous perspectives.

It's a special day for Amik the beaver and her little sister, Nishiime. Their cousins are coming to visit! Amik is excited, but Nishiime feels nervous about meeting new people, and when the cousins finally arrive, Nishiime disappears.

Lively, immersive illustrations show Amik and her cousins as they search the woods for Nishiime. Each creature they encounter, introduced to readers using their Anishinaabe names, reveals how beavers help the forest community. A fish thanks them for digging canals in the mud that they swim through. A deer thanks the beavers for cutting down trees so they can reach the tastiest leaves. None of the creatures have seen Nishiime, but keen-eyed kids will have spotted her hiding in the background throughout the story.

Eventually, Nishiime returns to the group, having overcome her shyness by learning an important lesson: despite being from different places, the beavers are all united by the ways they support the forest ecosystem. With the perfect blend of fact and fun, this salute to the industrious beaver is also an energetic celebration of Indigenous perspectives, languages, and diversity.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.95

Kirkus

A vibrant work laden with messages, from accepting differences to fostering respect for the natural world.

Review quotes

"A story well told by a writer who artfully blends teachings about the interconnections between the land, animals, and the everyday strength of family and community relationships."—Jenny Kay Dupuis, co-author of I Am Not a Number
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781771475150
Lexile Measure
570
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Owlkids
Publication date
March 14, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV002160 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mammals
JUV011040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Native American
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
JUV030090 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Canada - Native Canadian
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Picture books
Missing persons
Cousins
Bashfulness in children
Bashfulness
Gifts
Gratitude
Beavers
Indigenous peoples
Individual differences
Indigenous peopls

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!