Description
In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.
In a brief author’s note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others.
Contributor Notes
Danielle Daniel, writer, artist and illustrator, is Métis. She was inspired to write Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox to encourage her young son to connect with his Aboriginal roots. It won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and has been selected as one of the New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. A schoolteacher for many years, Danielle now paints and writes, and she is completing an MFA in creative writing through the University of British Columbia. She has published a memoir, The Dependent, and her second picture book, Once in a Blue Moon, will be published in the fall of 2017.
Danielle lives in Northern Ontario.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 4 to 7
- Grade:
- k to 2
- Reading age:
- 4 to 7
Awards
- Short-listed, Blue Spruce Award
- Winner, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
- Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Top Recommended Reads
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Children and Teens
- Commended, 49th Shelf Favourite Picture Books of the Year
- Commended, New York Public Library Best 100 Books for Reading and Sharing
Editorial Reviews
Reminds readers of the importance of critical self-reflection and of our connection to the animal world — two ideas worth championing at any age.
— Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW
The stylized masks, soft colours and big eyes of the children convey a seriousness, almost an otherworldliness, to the animal/human relationship. . . . Haunting and thought-provoking.
— Toronto Star
A stunning glimpse into the traditions of the Anishinaabe culture. . . . Highly recommended.
— CM Magazine
The ideas inside unfurl outside the pages into readers’ own imaginative worlds.
— Boston Globe
This book will fascinate children expanding their horizons and learning about other cultures (or, in the case of Anishinaabe kids, their own).
— Kirkus Reviews
Out of print
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Librarian review
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox
In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.
This book explores different parts of our identity, and invites response in a variety of curriculum areas: Drama (students become an animal of their choice and move and speak in role as that animal); Writing (write a first person account, in role, describing life as an animal); Visual Arts (create a mask or create an illustration to show an animal’s adventure) and Science (What facts do you know about that animal, What questions do you have about that animal characteristics?).
The author is available for school visits.
Source: Association of Canadian Publishers. Top Grade Selection 2016.
