I enjoyed this audiobook very much, the writing and narration are lovely.
I felt lucky to have access to this Anishinaabeg stories. I highly recommend this book and would strongly recommend.

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is an Indigenous author and creator. Anything and everything she writes is very much worth reading.

I rate THE GIFT IS IN THE MAKING as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What a beautiful gift. A beautiful book that tells the stories that have been passed down for generations in the oral tradition of the Anishinaabeg. The author uses the native names for different animals and people in the stories throughout and defined the, for us. I felt it was such a beautiful experience. I also want to point out that I was fortunate enough to see the narrator perform in a one woman show in Calgary and that additional connection was so exciting. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about Anishinaabeg stories and culture. It centers their stories while still gifting us with lessons in language and importance of characters.

This is a beautiful collection of stories! I loved the narrator's voice and the way the author wove and retold these Anishinaabeg stories. The layout of the book was incredible and learning the vocabulary of this native language was much appreciated. The way life is explained in native tales immerses the reader in the old ways; how and why things work the way they do. Leanne Simpson does an amazing job of bringing these stories to life.

This was a beautiful collection of Anishinaabeg traditional stories. Reminiscent of the fables that I grew up with, these stories teach life lessons and explain the world around us. The author included native names for animals, plants, and people, which made the experience of listening to this book even more immersive. This book is a very special collection of the oral history of the Anishinaabeg and I am so glad I was able to listen and learn from their stories.

Thank you to #Netgalley for an audiobook of #TheGiftIsInTheMaking in exchange for my honest review.

The Gift Is in the Making
Anishinaabeg Stories
by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Narrated by Tiffany Ayalik

I LOVED this book. It is a collection of 21 short stories, each with a theme to be cherished and endeared; be who you are, be a good neighbor, how the turtle obtained its shell which is related to the calendar. The audiobook was AMAZING, Tiffany Ayalik did a wonderful job. Loved her inflections, it perfectly complimented this book.

In my opinion it would be best to combine the physical book with the audiobook. At the beginning of each story, the author provides the English word and the Anishinaabeg word for an object (bear, grandmother, maple tree) and then uses the Anishinaabeg word in the story. At times I wasn't entirely sure which was the appropriate word, but it didn't really seem to detract from the story.

My words can't adequately convey how much this book has snared my heart. Love, love, loved it! I want to re-listen to the audio again and again and continue to absorb these stories ... until i can tell them to my neice and nephew. In all honesty, I'll probably do that as well as purchasing the book and the audio for them!

This audiobook was courtesy of NetGalley Advance Read Copy; thank you to the author/Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and NetGalley!

This is a beautiful book that tells the stories that have been passed down for generations in the oral tradition of the Anishinaabeg. The author uses the native names for different animals and people in the stories but at the beginning of each story she tells you what each name means. It may be neat to have a chart with he native names with a photo beside it for children to refer to as they listen. Each story is short but important, the tie that seems to bind them all together is a need for respect for the land, the people and animals. With one of these things out of balance the whole system suffers.

These would be beautiful stories to listen to around a fire or listened to, learned and then retold around the fire.