A good history from the perspective of the Natives. It is usually a combined history, of both pilgrims and natives. It was refreshing to hear this side of it. The pictures were beautiful and inspiring. It will be a great book to have on the shelf for my kiddos!

The written version of one of the stories Wampanoag Tribes told their children, about the newcomers who came to America and learn new tradition of Thanksgiving introduced by the tribe. The Indian tribe has this wonderful story of the three sisters: corn, beans and squash, that they cultivate and consume since the beginning. And this tradition was passed on the newcomers to survive the land. Interesting story, moreover for us who lived far from the Indians, to learn more about them and their history.

A must have for your library. Keepunumuk is a story of the first Thanksgiving told from a Native American perspective. Wampanoag words and storytelling format are used. A language guide is provided. This book also includes some information about Wampanoag tribes, language, and includes a recipe. The illustrations are beautiful.
In my opinion, this story is a good introduction to history. It is written in a way that is sensitive to young kids and can be used as a conversation starter.

This was a beautiful story about the "First Thanksgiving" or Keepunumuk (the time of harvest) told from a First Peoples perspective. I had heard about the three sisters before this book in another book written by an Indigenous author; there is so much we can learn about working harmoniously with the land from Indigenous communities.
I thought the story was told beautifully and I enjoyed learning about Weeachumun through this Wampanoag story.

In America, the story of the first Thanksgiving is drilled into our heads from childhood, so it is great that this book takes the view of the native people, the Weeachumun, the People of the First Light, who were living there first.

Without their help, the people known as the Pilgrims would have all died of starvation. This book celebrates how the people and the plants and the animals came together to help these people, and thus give them food to celebrate with.

Beautiful retelling, though sad at the same time.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

This is story about the celebration of Thanksgiving and its origins. It is fascinating and important to learn that from the perspective of Native Americans it isn’t always considered a celebration. There is plenty here to stimulate discussions with children. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is engaging. I would have liked to hear more about the reasons for some calling it a day of mourning. The wopanaak words, the tribe map and the recipe were great additions. Thank you to the authors, NetGalley and Charlesbridge for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully illustrated picture book depicting the first Thanksgiving through traditional story telling. The author’s use of the First Peoples’ perspective is appreciated and leaves plenty of room for open discussion.

This book was a great starting point for discussing colonization from the Indigenous perspective and provides great information surrounding how the Indigenous people saw their land. It provides Indigenous words and specifies the nation in which the story takes place. This book is beautifully pictured and written. can be used for any age group - not just the younger children. Though this story slightly differs from the Indigenous people of Canada, I would still use this in a classroom and perhaps plan an activity for comparing and contrasting the differences we see in this book to what the Canadian Indigenous people went through.

Beautifully written. I enjoyed reading a different perspective than what we are usually taught in schools and it was so refreshing! Definitely will be looking to add to our collection

This is a fantastic book! A much needed perspective of thanksgiving that doesn’t center on or turn a blind eye to colonization. As an indigenous person, I was excited that the story retained a lot of the elements of oral storytelling and that “native” language and concepts were used in the book. A must have for any library collection and a great addition to personal collections as well.

Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
by Danielle Greendeer
Looking at the historical story from the native perspective. It is amazing how it looks at the cultural differences and history. Its another point of view. I hope that it helps students to understand more of the original story.

This is a fantastic take on the Thanksgiving story from the side that we generally don't hear about. I love the honesty of it; the story isn't unfair or unrealistically portrayed. The art is also fantastic! If you're teaching the OG Thanksgiving story, you have to have this book and share it with kids and students.

Keepunumuk is the name and story of the first harvest meal shared between the Native Americans and European settlers.

It tells how the plants and animals watched the struggle of the settlers and decided they should sent the Native people to help.

The extras showing where the tribes lived on a map we recognize, the meaning of words, and some history are all very nice bonuses.

This book offers another way to tell the traditional Thanksgiving story from a Native perspective.

This is a really strong picture book with excellent storytelling and earthy tones illustrations that support understanding for littles. This is a Thanksgiving story that we need, perfect for preschool and kindergarten, as we teach students “whose voice is being heard?” and to hear multiple perspectives. I love the way the end of the book includes recipes and other supports for delving into Wampanoag culture.

A sweet story of the first thanksgiving told from the eyes of first nation peoples.
Lovely illustrations depicting how nature and mother earth impact our everyday lives and survival

This book tells the story of Thanksgiving from an Indigenous perspective. It teaches the story of how Indigenous peoples sacrificed their own food supply to teach the newcomers how to survive on the land. A few of the things I loved about this book was how it touched on different parts of the culture such as the creator speaking to them in their dreams, and how the seeds were speaking to the newcomers but they couldn’t hear them. I also loved how in the beginning it provided the meaning and pronunciation of the Indigenous words that were used. This book would be a great resource for teachers during thanksgiving time, or when discussing Indigenous issues. The authors provide in the end even a traditional recipe that could be made.

This is an awesome alternative children's book for Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to stock it in the store I work at during the holidays. I will say, though, to echo another reviewer, that the way the Pilgrims were depicted as neutral, or even nice/positive, was...a choice. I get that this is for young kids, but I do think that this book's very subtle hints at future violence weren't quite enough.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

4/5 - Really liked it.

I'm really glad to see more children's and YA books that deal with the true history of the United States. Keepunumuk is a fantastic book for many reasons - the story retells the tradition of Thanksgiving but does so from a First People perspective, in the style of a First Nation myth. The narrative does not shy away from using words from the Wampanoag language, which both preserves the language for children of that nationality and also allows children from other groups to better grasp that there are real people who were impacted by the legacy of colonialism. The narrative also brings up the fact that Thanksgiving is a day of great mourning for many Native Americans - which is an important fact.

Overall, I think this would be a great book to add to children's libraries worldwide and I am deeply appreciative of the fact that it was written and illustrated by Native Americans.

The early American settlers called it Thanksgiving, which is now owned as American Thanksgiving. However, the First Peoples (Native Americans) have a different spin on that first event of shared thankfulness. They knew it as Keepunumuk. This great children's story from the First Peoples' perspective is cosily told by N8hkumuhs (Grandmother) telling the story to her young grandchildren Maple and Quill. In the telling the reader will learn what is meant by "The Three Sisters" and their importance to the Wampanoag..

It is a good thing there is a pronunciation key at the outset of the story of the Wampanoag language terms used in the story. Also of interest, at the end, is some background information of the Wampanoag tribes, their traditions and harvest feasts. There is even a recipe sampling of their food and one gets to meet the actual Maple and Quill. Combined, along with the excellent colorful illustrations, makes this a wonderfully educational experience. The only cautionary measure I'd interject is against the encouragement given to impressionable children to give thanks to the tribal groups' guardian spirits and to elements of creation instead of to the Creator, Himself. In this, parental guidance may be needed. Other than this, I have no qualms about this book and believe it to be a refreshing look at the roots of the yearly festival.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

February 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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Keepunumuk is a Wampanaog telling of the first thanksgiving. The story, told in Wampanaog tradition, shows how the First Peoples helped settlers avoid starvation during their first winter on First Peoples' land.

This story is beautifully told, and beautifully illustrated. Prior to the telling of the story, information about the Wampanaog, including a language guide, is provided. The information provided is presented clearly, in an easy-to-digest format, and helps those who are not familiar with Wampanaog language and tradition immerse themselves in the story.

The story itself is simultaneously rich and heartbreaking. The story hints at the tragic events that the First Peoples faced (and continue to face) as a result of colonization. However, this story shows that First Peoples are still here and that their voices are still strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the ARC of this book.