It’s a Mitig!

by Bridget George

A fun and colorful introduction to the Ojibwe language through nature It’s a Mitig! guides young readers through the forest and introduces them to Ojibwe words that describe the natural world. Featuring vibrant and playful artwork, an illustrated Ojibwe-to-English glossary and a simple introduction to the double-vowel pronunciation system, plus accompanying online recordings, It’s a Mitig! is one of the first books of its kind. From sunup to sundown, encounter an amik playing with sticks and swimming in the river, a prickly gaag hiding in the bushes and a big, bark-covered mitig . Using rhyme to help readers predict the Ojibwe pronunciation, It’s a Mitig! makes learning new words fun. Anishinaabe author-illustrator Bridget George created this unique book for young children and their families with the heartfelt desire to spark a lifelong interest in learning language. Whether connecting with one’s Ojibwe ancestry or simply opening children’s eyes and ears to the cornucopia of North American dialects, It’s a Mitig! is a useful tool for exploring language.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Indigenous, Childrens, Native American, Native Americans

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 20, 2021

Reviews

[Hannah Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this books also love the fact that I found a video of the author reading to me. So I can make sure I am pronouncing the words correctly

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say for this one. I went through it pretty quick, so my memory is a bit fuzzy at this point - it didn’t make a huge impression.

The illustrations are cute.

The story is mainly about introducing young readers to the Ojibwe words for various animals and natural objects like trees. It uses a cute, rhyming format to do so. There’s a pronunciation guide at the back, with info for a website where you can find the recordings for the various word pronunciations as well. It might have helped to have the pronunciation for the words on the same page as the text, as it wasn’t always intuitive even with the rhyming scheme helping (I only remember the section at the back, at least).

A good book for young readers learning about First Nations/Indigenous culture.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a Mitig introduces readers to the natural world through cute images, fun rhymes, and Ojibwe words. While it's primary intention is to help families from certain Indigenous Nations connect with their language, it is easily accessible to a wider audience.
George uses two extremely clever techniques for teaching some vocabulary from the Ojibwe language. First, she pairs lines in a rhyming couplet. Even if you have never spoken this language, some phonetic assumptions can be made because it is meant to rhyme with an English word. Second, rather than translate the words, George colour codes most of them to match with the illustration. This creates an easy to recognize association between the thing and word. The back does include a more traditional pronunciation guide, and even a link to a video where the author reads the book aloud. Non-native speakers should take advantage of this before reading to a group.
With it's brief lines, and bold illustrations this is a great pick for storytime. Readers can even use it to encourage audience participation, by asking them what the word is in their language.
Future authors that wish to incorporate words from another language with English should take note of this book. It is by far, the best example for teaching preschool readers.

[Alissa Tsaparikos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book very cleverly uses a rhyming scheme to introduce readers to the Ojibwe language. Set up as aa rhyme, the rhyme gives readers a clue how each new word should be pronounced. Children will recognize the animals shown in the pages, which may add to the appeal of learning new terms for them. In the back there is a pronunciation guide, as well as a link provided that readers can follow to hear the words read out loud. This is a fun addition to the growing number of #OwnVoices books from native writers.

[Cheryl A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud by author on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5T6X... (not on her website, despite note in aftermatter). A nice book, will enrich early childhood collections that need more OwnVoices (Anishinaabe) that are cozy and light, but not my favorite.

(Maybe none of my business, but I can't help wondering why she named her baby Noah, and bothered to tell us readers that. It sounds like a message, giving him a Christian name instead of a Native one. Not sure what the message is and if it's for the child, his own community, or the world, though.)

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning the Ojibwe words for different animals and plants, however, to use this as a read-aloud would stump me! I think it would be best used in conjunction with the audio book or resources on the author's website. Books like these help preserve cultural heritage while also introducing new vocabulary and respect to a larger audience. Very important work captured in a colorful story.

[Catalina Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful and educational book that introduces readers to the Ojibwe language. The story is about a young boy that explores the natural world around him, identifying different objects and animals using Ojibwe words. The illustrations are charming and colorful, adding a layer of visual engagement to the story. The book also includes a pronunciation guide, making it a great tool for children and adults alike to learn a new language.

[Katarina Penfold · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a Mitig an English with Ojibwe Vocabulary story. Guides young readers to learn words surrounding nature and animals. The gaag "porcupine" and the amik " beaver" are incredibly adorable. Each page gives a clue to who might be on the page, and then leads with the Ojibwe word. An excellent introduction with a pronunciation guide.

You can also play a memory game with younger kids to help them remember each word using the back pages.

[Caitlin Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful book. The illustrations are charming and engaging, the words well chosen and thoughtful. It really embraces the natural world in a way both my kids really like. I read this at least three times a day to my 5 and 2 year old, and while they (and I) still occasionally mispronounce them, we've managed to learn a Ojibwe.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute pictures, and I think working the Ojibwe animal names into rhymes can help with reinforcing the pronunciation, though there is also a pronunciation guide on the back, and you can listen to the story on the author's web site.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful picturebook with great illustrations and excellent backmatter explaining how to say each word.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This bark-covered giant grows tall and thick, covered in branches, it's a mitig!"

"What animal's toothy and plays with a stick? It swims in the river, it's called an amik."

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like introductions to languages that have been 'lost'/taken from many Native American cultures. Be sure to check out her website for pronunciation guides.

[Launna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun intro to a different language. I liked listening to the recording of her saying the words on her webpage.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple rhyming book that incorporates Ojibwe words. Lovely book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guide to learning words in Ojibwe. Picture book. Charming.

[SamSamSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great vocabulary, print awareness, phonological awareness

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun indigenous read. We liked the artwork as well.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I do wish there were pronunciations on each page, or that the read aloud could be found on the site listed in the back, but it is just a charming book.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent storytime book filled with Ojibwe terms. I used the Youtube video from the author to practice the punctuation.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book that introduces the Ojibwe names of things you would find in the woods. Has a good pronunciation guide in the back as well as a picture dictionary of words from the book.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read that has a lot of rhythm that would be great for helping children learn! Definitely will recommend.

[Storytime With Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful language book for our youngest learners by Bridget George. It’s A Mitig! Introduces readers to the Ojibwe words from nature along with a lovely rhyming story about the natural world.

This story just rolls off your tongue and is so engaging. Perfect for preschoolers, the big bold artwork is an instant attention grabber and children will stick around for the wonderful language learning. If you are sharing this story and are not a speaker of the Ojibwe language make sure you practice. Bridget George provides all of the tools you need with a pronunciation guide at the back of the book and a link to her website where she has a video to help you with learn the language too! Check out https://bridgetgeorge.com/its-a-mitig

The illustrations are incredibly fun with big bold colours. The animals and natural elements play front and centre and are clear to all readers and listeners. What a great way to involve our youngest learners in learning a new language. The back pages also has a picture glossary of all of the nature and it’s corresponding Ojibwe word, perfect for learning!

It’s A Mitig is a wonderful book to share with all readers and is especially fun for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book where each page teaches an Ojibwe word through a picture and context clues. A pronunciation guide and information on accessing a read-aloud version are provided in the back matter.