Firedancers

by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

"What is it, Noko?" Grandmother does not answer. Somehow, I feel that we are being watched and she knows what is there. "I will go and see what it might be." And then I add, "I'll be careful." Although I try to sound brave, I don't want to go into the dark corner where the fire does not glow. I remind myself that I have been in the woods many times and was never afraid before. I walk toward the huge white pine that hides what could be there. Again, I feel a wind tapping my back. I look behind me. There is nothing. As night sets in and the fire crackles, a young native girl is amazed when her grandmother invokes the spirits of their ancestors. She learn the mystical firedance and creates a bond with her people and their heritage that will last a lifetime.

Genres: Picture Books, Native American, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl and her Noko (Nokoomis, or grandmother) head to Smooth Rock Island one dark autumn night in this atmospheric picture-book from Ojibwe author Jan Bourdeau Waboose and Mohawk illustrator C.J. Taylor. Here they build a fire, and the girl is drawn into a dance with her grandmother, a dance that reaches back to their ancestors and that ties them to the natural world around them...

Pairing a richly descriptive text with beautiful, intensely colorful illustrations, Firedancers was a pleasure to read. Waboose's story involves the readers immediately in the child-narrator's experience, as she finds herself out and about in a dark world that feels both frightening and familiar. The connection to her loving grandmother is beautifully evoked, as is the symbolic significance of the dance. The artwork, which looks like it was done in oil paint, is very intense, with a deep, vivid color palette and stylized figures. This is my fourth picture-book from Waboose, but my first from Taylor - I will definitely have to seek out more of her books! Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about grandparents and grandchildren and/or about Native cultural traditions.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waboose (Ojibwe-Anishnaabe) and Taylor (Mohawk) collaborate on a fantastic book. Taylor’s paintings are awesome and the text is a great intergenerational story of love and respect. My earlier criticisms of Taylor are assuaged here. In her earlier works she read stories from other nations ( Abenaki, Cheyenne, Algonquin etc) and retold them with accompanying paintings. Here is a collaboration with an indigenous author. 5 stars.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative and captures a tender relationship, but the real star here is the paintings that illustrate the text. Colorful and conveying movement in a unique way, they are wonderful.