Love this picture about beavers but using Indigenous voices to tell Indigenous stories. I'm glad to see that we are going more of these.

Amik is a beaver. He and his younger sister Nishiime are expecting cousins to visit them today. But when the cousins show up, Nishiime is nowhere to be found. As Amik shows her cousins around their part of the woods, they learn a lot.

A bear is nearby. but she is not a threat. She likes that the beavers dam the water, creating shallow areas where she can find food for herself and her cubs. The deer appreciate the fallen trees, as they can reach the tasty leaves more easily. The fish can swim all winter long because the channels the beavers create in the water keep it from freezing. And the red fox can get home to his family quickly because of the dam over the water.

Amik and her cousins enjoy their day together, even though she’s been looking all over for Nishiime but couldn’t find her. But as the cousins are getting ready to go back home, the younger sister shows up. When Amik asks her where she had been, she answers that she’d been hiding. Nishiime was afraid of meeting new people, but she watched them all day, and she’s less afraid now. She talks to all her cousins and makes plans to visit them all at some point. And then it’s time for the cousins to leave.

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome is a picture book filled with lessons for young kids. They can learn about beavers and how they contribute to their environment. They can learn about dealing with fears of strangers. And they can learn about the Anishinaabe, the indigenous people of the Great Lakes region.

Each of the six beaver cousins come named as the word “beaver” in their own language and bring gifts. And at the end of the book is a short glossary of the words used throughout the story. Biindigen, for example, means welcome, and nishiime means little sister. It’s a sweet introduction to the Anishaabe people, with colorful illustrations and sweet characters.

I really enjoyed Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome and think it will spark a lot of young minds to be curious about nature and about the history of the Great Lakes region. However, I do wish that author Nancy Cooper had been more information on the indigenous people. As someone who is not from that area, I had to look up information on the Anishinaabe on my own to understand the book well enough to talk about it in a review. But I do think it will ignite curiosity in kids and will lead them to learn more, which is always a good thing.

Egalleys for Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome were provided by Owlkids Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

What a delightful picture book introducing Native American words and concepts to readers, young and old!

Amik is a young beaver who is excited to host a gathering of her cousins at her river home. Her little sister Nishiime is curious but shy, and vanishes almost as soon as the others begin to arrive. While Amik is a little dismayed at Nishiime's disappearance, she's soon busy greeting her cousins, accepting their gifts, and showing them around the dam and surrounding areas. She keeps an eye out for Nishiime the entire time, asking passing animals whether they've seen her little sister. Some of her cousins are afraid of some of her scarier animal neighbors, but Amik is quick to assure them that all the animals, even the carnivores, appreciate what the beavers do for the environment.

Nishiime finally turns up as the cousins are preparing to leave, and confides in Amik the lessons she learned that day. They wave goodbye to their cousins, promising to return the visits when Nishiime is older. The book closes with a delightful glossary and pronunciation guide, as well as the information that each cousin's name came from their respective Nation's word for beaver.

Nancy Cooper's story is charming and engrossing, showing not only the importance of the beaver in maintaining a healthy ecosystem but also in allowing shy kids to warm up in their own time, even if it means they miss out on some of the fun. I wasn't sure how I would feel about Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's art at first: the cover seems rather murky, even for a depiction of beavers in a dammed-up stream. Perhaps that's due to the color palette not translating well on my computer screen; I've certainly found that physical works tend to look at least 50% percent better than their digital counterparts.

But as the book continued, I found myself admiring how wonderfully his art complemented Ms Cooper's words. The colors are rich and the characters joyful, with tons of nods to Native culture in the details. The overall palette is still pretty dark, but the overall effect suits the story fine. Definitely recommended for any children's library.

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper and Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley was published today March 14 2023 by Owlkids and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781771475150">Bookshop!</a>

This review originally appeared at <a href="https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/03/14/biindigen-amik-says-welcome-by-nancy-cooper-and-joshua-mangeshig-pawis-steckley/">TheFrumiousConsortium.net</a>.

Enjoyed reading this book. My review for The Preschool Parent Book Review is posted below and will be shared on Twitter and Instagram as well.

Join Amik and her beaver family as they welcome their cousins who come for a visit. Amik’s little sister, Nishiime, is shy and hides. Her family may not know where Nishiime is, but your child will enjoy finding her as she peeks from her hiding places to observe her cousins from a distance.

As the day of the visit goes on readers see how beavers help all of the forest community with their tree cutting and pond building. Another plus for Biindigen! is learning a bit about the Indigenous peoples of North America.

A fun book for your child and a great book for any preschool library.

Learn more here...

https://shop.owlkids.com/products/biindigen-amik-says-welcome?variant=43685131387098

Like many reviewers, I appreciate the perspective of this story and the care shown for other animals and the natural environment. It would have been helpful to have more background information about the people and perspectives the story reflects. A list of vocabulary words and translations or explanations is helpful, but I was hoping to find additional back matter to help readers better understand and appreciate the story.

This beautiful picture book follows a story close to any child's heart: excitement and fear, eagerness and trepidation. Basic information like directions, North, South, East, and West, and names of animals, beaver, bear, fish, fox, otter, appeal to very young readers, with details of plants, rivers, and terrain giving a sense of the greater ecosystem. For example, a funny and calming episode when a cousin apologizes for showing up late, frightened by the sound of a bear. The beaver need not fear the bear, for the bear is looking for plants and insects in the stream and actually likes beavers' dam! More advanced readers learn Anishinaabe words, with each visitor coming from a different Nation, their name meaning "beaver" in their own language. I appreciated the glossary at the back of the book, but with a map had been included, showing the homes of these Nations. Thank you to OwlKids Books for the privilege of a review copy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to review and ARC of Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome.

This picture book features a family of beavers who are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their cousins. The beavers all represent different indigenous Nation, and there are Anishinaabe word throughout, such as nishiime- little sister. When the beaver cousins come to visit, they bring gifts, which are all items from that Nation's tribe. The back of the book has a translation and pronunciation guide.

The illustrations are bright and charming, and the story of the little sister who is nervous to meet her cousins will be a good talking point with small children who might have similar fears.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Readers meet Amik and her younger sister, Nishiime, as they wait for their cousins to come and visit from their homes. The cousins arrive bringing gifts and joy. They join together in learning about Amik's home and searching for Nishiime when she disappears. By the day's end, Nishiime conquers her shyness and rejoins them. Each must return to their own home and looks forward to gathering together at a new location. Beautiful illustrations capture the various Nations in the small details of each beaver. I appreciate the glossary and explanations provided at the end of the book.
An analogy younger readers will comprehend to connect with larger Nation meetings.

Flowing artwork and pleasant characters make for a relaxing read, showing how different families can be and still care for one another. Book also includes helpful pronunciation of character names/terms in the back matter.

I love the vast representation of indigenous peoples in this book! I always enjoy when books are able to incorporate different languages as well as different aspects of their cultures and history. I have read books in the past that have the pronunciations of words in other languages throughout the book for easier reading but I really love that this book had a vast glossary in the back.

This was a great book. I loved the illustrations and way it included the environment in the story. I also loved the way that indigenous language and art was included in book. The glossary in the back was great and useful for readers. This was a fantastic book that I will highly recommend.

This is a simple story of one family meeting their cousins from a far off distance. This is an indigenous story from the anishinnabe people. The story is simple but the inclusion of the indigenous words and the indigenous art style is very helpful in projecting the heart of the story

As Anik and her cousins search for her younger sister, they are thanked by the many animals whose lives are positively impacted by the beavers and their dams. The book could have been didactic but Cooper incorporates environmental facts into a universal story that can be enjoyed by young listeners. Included at the end of the book is a translation of Anishinaabe words used in the text, although generally the words can be understood in the context of the story. There is also a list of the words for beaver in the various languages of the different Nations represented by the beaver cousins.

This is a cute story about family with gorgeous, unique illustrations. They are really works of art. The book includes translations of the Indigenous words used in the story. A perfect addition for anyone wanting to diversify their book collection.

The iconic beaver has been such an important part of our history in Canada, both economically as the centre of the fur trade, and maybe less noticed but more importantly as the environmental stewards that they are. “Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome” is a wonderful story exploring the role of the beaver in protecting and creating wetlands and the impacts of the beaver’s activities on surrounding wildlife. Nancy Cooper’s story about Amik and his little sister Nishiime, beaver siblings who are awaiting the arrival of cousin beavers coming in from all over the traditional territories, reveals through the plot, the importance of the beaver on its environment. There is great attention to detail in language and Cooper brings in many vocabulary words in Anishinaabe, as well as the many Indigenous names for the beaver. There is a glossary and explanation at the end of the book. Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley’s illustrations are vibrant and detailed, effectively incorporating traditional design and colour elements along with culturally specific traditional clothing and items, including: wampum shells, hoods, and headbands. This is a beautiful book to share with a class or as a lap or bedtime read. 


Teacher Tips

* What are some of the ways that Beaver helps to protect its environment?

* Are your students like these beaver siblings? Do they also have extended family that live far away? How are customs and language different?

* For older students, connect to the siblings in the story, write a reflection on a visit they’ve had with relatives (or other people) who have come from far away. 

* For younger students, find all of the animals that the beaver help and identify how the other animals benefit.

This was a cute story about a beaver and her sister who have cousins come visit. The cousins come from far away (different tribes), but when they arrive the little sister is scared and hides. The older sister and cousins go looking for the sister and meet different animals along the way. Each animal thanks the beaver for their work and states how it has helped them. In the end, the little sister comes out and realizes that the cousins are not as scary as they seem even though they come from far away.

I thought the illustrations were sweet and matched the tone of the book. It was an interesting concept to see how animals interact with nature and each other.