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Niwîcihâw / ᓂᐄ ᒋᐦᐋᐤ / I Help
This simple story in Cree and English explores a young child’s relationship to his grandmother, or nôkhom, as they go for a walk in the woods to pick rosehips. The young boy follows his grandmother, walking, listening, picking, praying and eating, just as she does. In doing so, he absorbs the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 7, 2023
I actually read (and very much enjoyed) the dual langue English/Cree picture book Niwechihaw / I Help (2008) in December 2018 (but somehow never managed to get around to actually penning a review for some reason). But yes, Niwechihaw / I Help is (at least in my humble opinion) simply a wonderful and engaging story and with equally delightful acrylic artwork (and both author/illustrator Caitlin Dale Nicholson and translator of the English to Cree words Leona Morin-Neilson are First Nations so that Niwechihaw / I Help is of course and delightfully entirely OwnVoices as well, not to mention that the updated edition, that Niwîcihâw / ᓂᐄ ᒋᐦᐋᐤ / I Help also seems to feature syllabics and would thus in a way be not just dual but in fact triple language, which is kind of cool in and of itself).
And textually speaking, Niwechihaw / I Help is a very basic and unembellished story, exploring in Cree and in English a young boy's relationship with his grandmother (with his nôkhom), as they go out together into the forest to gather rose-hips (and where the accompanying pictures most definitely quite majorly visually expand on the featured, on the presented words, with Caitlin Dale Nicholson’s artwork for Niwechihaw / I Help visually demonstrating the close personal relationship between the young boy and his grandmother and also showing excessively and lushly the natural beauty of the bush, of the forest with much more detail than the printed words display). However, it is actually and precisely that verbal simplicity I do happen to find so wonderful and so appealing regarding Niwechihaw / I Help, since not only do the very short and plain sentences allow me to figure out the featured Cree words pretty easily and entirely from context alone (and also of course using the illustrations as well) but equally that Caitlin Dale Nicholson (and translator Leona Morin-Neilson of course) delightfully and with sparse words manage to say oh so very much (and oh so enchantingly and so absolutely wonderfully) regarding how the young boy of Niwechihaw / I Help follows his grandmother through the forest, listening to her, picking rose-hips like she does, praying when she prays, eating when she eats and by doing this, by imitating his nôkhom, he learns by doing and also absorbs the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage and background, and all this without there being any preaching, any lessons learned with a proverbial raised finger in Niwechihaw / I Help, simply quiet beauty and the grandmother and her grandson having a very good time together being out and about, both fun and education at the same time.
Now at the end of Niwechihaw / I Help there is also a recipe provided for rose-hip tea (again written in both Cree and English and actually very similar to how my grandmother in Germany used to make rose-hip tea), kind of like the icing on the cake for me and with my only mild criticism of Niwechihaw / I Help being that I do wish there would be a pronunciation guide provided for the Cree words (but indeed not enough of an issue for me to not consider a lower than five star rating for Niwechihaw / I Help).
And textually speaking, Niwechihaw / I Help is a very basic and unembellished story, exploring in Cree and in English a young boy's relationship with his grandmother (with his nôkhom), as they go out together into the forest to gather rose-hips (and where the accompanying pictures most definitely quite majorly visually expand on the featured, on the presented words, with Caitlin Dale Nicholson’s artwork for Niwechihaw / I Help visually demonstrating the close personal relationship between the young boy and his grandmother and also showing excessively and lushly the natural beauty of the bush, of the forest with much more detail than the printed words display). However, it is actually and precisely that verbal simplicity I do happen to find so wonderful and so appealing regarding Niwechihaw / I Help, since not only do the very short and plain sentences allow me to figure out the featured Cree words pretty easily and entirely from context alone (and also of course using the illustrations as well) but equally that Caitlin Dale Nicholson (and translator Leona Morin-Neilson of course) delightfully and with sparse words manage to say oh so very much (and oh so enchantingly and so absolutely wonderfully) regarding how the young boy of Niwechihaw / I Help follows his grandmother through the forest, listening to her, picking rose-hips like she does, praying when she prays, eating when she eats and by doing this, by imitating his nôkhom, he learns by doing and also absorbs the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage and background, and all this without there being any preaching, any lessons learned with a proverbial raised finger in Niwechihaw / I Help, simply quiet beauty and the grandmother and her grandson having a very good time together being out and about, both fun and education at the same time.
Now at the end of Niwechihaw / I Help there is also a recipe provided for rose-hip tea (again written in both Cree and English and actually very similar to how my grandmother in Germany used to make rose-hip tea), kind of like the icing on the cake for me and with my only mild criticism of Niwechihaw / I Help being that I do wish there would be a pronunciation guide provided for the Cree words (but indeed not enough of an issue for me to not consider a lower than five star rating for Niwechihaw / I Help).
November 23, 2019
With its simple, bi-lingual text in English and Cree, and beautiful, full-page acrylic illustrations, Niwechihaw / I Help is a lovely cultural and linguistic introduction to the indigenous Tahltan/Cree peoples of British Columbia. As a young boy assists his kôhkom, or grandmother, in picking berries, simple phrases are repeated in both languages, offering a subtle lesson in Cree culture: "Kôhkom pimohtew / Kôhkom walks. Nipimohtan / I walk. Kôhkom âyamihâw / Kôhkom prays. Niayâmihan / I pray." And so forth... The repetitive nature of the text makes it an excellent language-learning tool, but also emphasizes the bond between grandmother and grandson, in which the young boy learns to do by imitating his kôhkom.
Echoing another reviewer, my sole complaint lies in the fact that there is no accompanying CD to help the reader pronounce the Cree words. Then again, I see on the dust-jacket that Leona Morin-Neilson teaches Cree at the "Power of Friendship" Aboriginal HeadStart program in Prince George, British Columbia, and get the sense that this is a book largely intended for Cree children themselves. Outsiders interested in hearing the sounds of Cree might want to pick up a copy of David Bouchard's recent bilingual English-Cree picture-book, The Drum Calls Softly , which does come with a CD.
Echoing another reviewer, my sole complaint lies in the fact that there is no accompanying CD to help the reader pronounce the Cree words. Then again, I see on the dust-jacket that Leona Morin-Neilson teaches Cree at the "Power of Friendship" Aboriginal HeadStart program in Prince George, British Columbia, and get the sense that this is a book largely intended for Cree children themselves. Outsiders interested in hearing the sounds of Cree might want to pick up a copy of David Bouchard's recent bilingual English-Cree picture-book, The Drum Calls Softly , which does come with a CD.
March 25, 2008
I'm always on the lookout for books that celebrate different cultures, help children feel a sense of pride in their heritage, and encourage children to develop an understanding and appreciation of a culture that may be different from their own. In just 24 beautifully-illustrated pages, Niwechihaw/I Help, Caitlin Dale Nicholson's bilingual picture book in Cree and English achieves this.
In the book, a young Tahltan* boy follows his "kôhkom," or grandmother through the bush picking rosehips. He observes and imitates her as she walks, listens, prays, etc., and along the way, learns more about his culture.
Written in simple repetitive phrases, the Cree word is followed by the English word.
"Kôhkom pimohtew./ Kôhkom walks./Nipimohtan./I walk."
Nicholson's soft acrylic-on-canvas illustrations give the book a feeling of reverence and awe and focus on the beauty of the earth and the loving relationship between the boy and his Kôhkom.
At the end of book is a recipe for rosehip tea, again written in both Cree and English. My only wish is that the book had a pronunciation key for the Cree words or an accompanying CD so children could hear the beauty of the language spoken by a native Cree speaker.
This is a special book that Tahltan children will cherish. Nicholson's message to her children at the end of the book sums it up: "I hope you stay strong and proud of who are you as Tahltan people with good minds and hearts. This book reflects the education that the elders are giving you...."
Even if you're not Tahltan, Niwechihaw/I Help, is a great introduction to Native American cultures and will help your child develop an interest in and respect for different cultures.
*The Taltan are a Native American people located in the northern British Columbia area. .
In the book, a young Tahltan* boy follows his "kôhkom," or grandmother through the bush picking rosehips. He observes and imitates her as she walks, listens, prays, etc., and along the way, learns more about his culture.
Written in simple repetitive phrases, the Cree word is followed by the English word.
"Kôhkom pimohtew./ Kôhkom walks./Nipimohtan./I walk."
Nicholson's soft acrylic-on-canvas illustrations give the book a feeling of reverence and awe and focus on the beauty of the earth and the loving relationship between the boy and his Kôhkom.
At the end of book is a recipe for rosehip tea, again written in both Cree and English. My only wish is that the book had a pronunciation key for the Cree words or an accompanying CD so children could hear the beauty of the language spoken by a native Cree speaker.
This is a special book that Tahltan children will cherish. Nicholson's message to her children at the end of the book sums it up: "I hope you stay strong and proud of who are you as Tahltan people with good minds and hearts. This book reflects the education that the elders are giving you...."
Even if you're not Tahltan, Niwechihaw/I Help, is a great introduction to Native American cultures and will help your child develop an interest in and respect for different cultures.
*The Taltan are a Native American people located in the northern British Columbia area. .
November 28, 2012
Written and illustrated by members of the Tahltan and Cree nations, this sweet, simple story looks at a very special relationship. A young boy goes for a walk with his "kohkom" (grandmother), listening, picking, praying, eating . . . just as she does. In doing so, he begins to learn the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage. Neilson's thoughtful text and Nicholson's acrylic-on-canvas illustrations blend beautifully to show both the deep bond between the boy and his grandmother and the beauty of their world.
The bilingual Cree / English storytelling, the "echoing" (as I like to call it) of grandmother's and then child's actions made this about ownership and pride in one's heritage. Reading this book is very moving, a nostalgia to childhood coming through beautifully via the colours and the concise descriptions of the everyday - of a boy helping his grandmother, of the unexplained yet entirely understood love of grandmother and grandson.
The poetic in the text makes this an ideal read-aloud for young ears.
The bilingual Cree / English storytelling, the "echoing" (as I like to call it) of grandmother's and then child's actions made this about ownership and pride in one's heritage. Reading this book is very moving, a nostalgia to childhood coming through beautifully via the colours and the concise descriptions of the everyday - of a boy helping his grandmother, of the unexplained yet entirely understood love of grandmother and grandson.
The poetic in the text makes this an ideal read-aloud for young ears.
May 9, 2018
This dual language (English and Cree) picture book is a short and easy read with a simple story, but it is genuinely lovely. I would have liked to see more of it, but obviously, the short, concise writing is part of the point. It is a really cute story regardless. The art is honestly the best part of this, it is breathtakingly gorgeous.
Great for kids learning to read, in either English or Cree. Definitely recommended
Great for kids learning to read, in either English or Cree. Definitely recommended
September 25, 2017
Just as lovely as I Wait -- simple, bilingual Cree story, great art, great pacing.
December 7, 2017
Simple but beautiful.
January 15, 2021
I picked up both of Caitlyn Dale Nicholson's picture books last week—"I Wait" and "I Help"— and am delighted to recommend them both. The paintings serve as an invitation into a quiet space that is at once personal and universal. The interplay of text and image is exquisite. I am amazed at how full and rich the stories are with no more than two or three words to a page. I especially appreciate the humour infused in the stories, with such a light touch.
The story-behind-the-story also moves me. These books are the result of a creative collaboration between Caitlyn Dale Nicholson (artist and author) and Leona Morin-Neilson (translator and inspiration). Seeing the text in Cree (first) and then in English at the bottom of each page underlines both the breadth of the invitation and the breadth of the story. These beautiful books are an act of reclamation of a language too long threatened by settler-colonial forces of white-supremacy.
The recommendation for these books came to me by way of an online discussion on Cree language resources. I'm grateful for the suggestion as my encounter with these books has been a delight. May they be well and broadly received.
The story-behind-the-story also moves me. These books are the result of a creative collaboration between Caitlyn Dale Nicholson (artist and author) and Leona Morin-Neilson (translator and inspiration). Seeing the text in Cree (first) and then in English at the bottom of each page underlines both the breadth of the invitation and the breadth of the story. These beautiful books are an act of reclamation of a language too long threatened by settler-colonial forces of white-supremacy.
The recommendation for these books came to me by way of an online discussion on Cree language resources. I'm grateful for the suggestion as my encounter with these books has been a delight. May they be well and broadly received.
March 26, 2020
Simple story, with both English and Cree text. Short, but a nice, diverse, early reader.
Read
June 20, 2018I saw Alia Jones' review of the 2017
nipêhon / I Wait
on AICL and got both it and this 2008 book from the library.
Each 2-page spread has a single sentence under each illustration (in Cree and in English). I honestly didn't realize until I read nipêhon / I Wait (which introduces a third character) that Kôhkom = grandmother -- that it wasn't that the grandmother was saying, "[child's name] does X" and the child was then echoing, "I do X," but rather that the child was saying, "Grandmother does X, and I do X as well." This realization made the text seem much less awkward.
The outdoor illustrations are almost all richly yellow.
There's a recipe for rosehip tea at the back. I honestly hadn't even realized that rosehips were what they were collecting.
You can read Beverly Slapin's review of this book on AICL here. She writes in part: "Traditional Indian elders generally teach by showing, and children learn by helping. [...] As the child follows his grandmother—walking, praying, picking, listening, eating—he is learning about his place in the world, his relationships to his family and to the land, culture and community."
The two-page spreads are mostly very calm, grounded in the natural world -- but the child's mirroring is not limited to "traditional" practices but also includes driving a car along the back of a seat while the grandmother is driving them, and occasionally the mirroring is humorously disrupted.
(Also, while I think the protagonist child is meant to read as male -- getting to walk around shirtless in the woods, wearing pants versus Kôhkom's dress -- the sparse first-person narration means the child is never explicitly gendered within the text.)
Each 2-page spread has a single sentence under each illustration (in Cree and in English). I honestly didn't realize until I read nipêhon / I Wait (which introduces a third character) that Kôhkom = grandmother -- that it wasn't that the grandmother was saying, "[child's name] does X" and the child was then echoing, "I do X," but rather that the child was saying, "Grandmother does X, and I do X as well." This realization made the text seem much less awkward.
The outdoor illustrations are almost all richly yellow.
There's a recipe for rosehip tea at the back. I honestly hadn't even realized that rosehips were what they were collecting.
You can read Beverly Slapin's review of this book on AICL here. She writes in part: "Traditional Indian elders generally teach by showing, and children learn by helping. [...] As the child follows his grandmother—walking, praying, picking, listening, eating—he is learning about his place in the world, his relationships to his family and to the land, culture and community."
The two-page spreads are mostly very calm, grounded in the natural world -- but the child's mirroring is not limited to "traditional" practices but also includes driving a car along the back of a seat while the grandmother is driving them, and occasionally the mirroring is humorously disrupted.
(Also, while I think the protagonist child is meant to read as male -- getting to walk around shirtless in the woods, wearing pants versus Kôhkom's dress -- the sparse first-person narration means the child is never explicitly gendered within the text.)
June 21, 2020
This is a simple story written in Cree and English about collecting the ingredients for rosehip tea. It has beautifully painted illustrations ad very simple text. I wish that there had been more to the story, the simple writing works but I felt that it was almost more of a story for an adult to enjoy than for a child to enjoy and learn from.
August 15, 2018
Written in Cree and English.
Tells the story of a day for a child and his grandmother. Simple text describes how they spend their time together.
Tells the story of a day for a child and his grandmother. Simple text describes how they spend their time together.
November 14, 2018
Told in Cree and English a simpels tory of a child learning the ways of his elder and helping out. A simple story. Preschool and up
February 18, 2024
This series is incredible.
May 3, 2024
It was a good book for me.
October 14, 2017
2008, The boy helps his grandmother in all she does. It compares / contrasts their roles in the duty. Easy, enjoyable read!
April 27, 2014
Good book. The inclusion of the traditions were great.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews