By Sue Farrell Holler
Raven, Rabbit, Deer
Picture Book | Illustrated by Jennifer Faria
Published by Pajama Press
One snowy day in the woods, a boy takes his grandfather for a walk. They make a trail of big footprints and a trail of little footprints as they greet their woodland neighbours by name: Raven, Rabbit, Deer. The animals are idenified in English and in Ojibwemowin.
- Books to Commemorate “Orange Shirt Day” – Teachers On Call, 2021
- First and Best, Toronto Public Library, 2020
Holler’s story gains from the interplay of dimensions: the affectionate relationship between the boy and his grandfather, the growing vocabulary they share, and their slow-paced appreciation of the natural world.
– Publishers Weekly, Starred review
Whether or not children are close to their own elders, this beautiful picture book engages and delights….An excellent addition to any school or public library, especially those looking to freshen up their picture book collections on the subject of winter.
– School Library Journal
An extraordinary nature picture book for young children…This delightful book is ideal to share with a child anytime, but particularly during winter.
– Toronto.com
This picture book is a walk in the snowy woods of a boy and his grandfather. Together they make tracks and grandfather teaches the boy which animals make which tracks as well as the Ojibwemowin names of the animals.
– The International Educator
This picture book is a beauty….The drawings were great, with expressive faces and simple and colourful images of the world. A great book for the coming season.
– Canadian Bookworm
This sweetly unassuming picture book is simultaneously a small wintertime adventure, a story of a loving intergenerational friendship, and an animal-identification book incorporating both English and Ojibwemowin vocabulary.
– Horn Book
Faria (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) brings an #ownvoices perspective to Holler’s text, illustrating the gentle scenes in acrylics and colored pencil. Understated humor emerges in the details…This intergenerational tale gently introduces woodland animal tracks and Ojibwemowin words.
– Kirkus Reviews
A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining picture book introduction to the subject of animal tracks…[Raven, Rabbit, Deer] is an extraordinary and forthrightly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections
– Midwest Book Review
The youngster’s vitality and the elder’s serenity form a vibrant contrast that coexists with an incomparable harmony. We all can relate to this unique combination that can almost exclusively be found in a grandparents-children relationship…Raven, Rabbit, Deer serves as a window for Indigenous children to see themselves and their families in the story. It also serves as a window for everyone in the classroom to learn about Indigenous ways of knowing and being. There is a thoughtful glossary with pictures as well to teach readers the proper pronunciations of raven, rabbit, and deer in Ojibwemowin. If you are considering setting up a multicultural and multilingual classroom library, I highly recommend adding this piece to your collection.
– CM: Canadian Review of Materials
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Raven, Rabbit, Deer
One snowy day in the woods, a boy takes his grandfather for a walk.
