You Hold Me Up / ê-ohpiniyan

by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel, translated by Mary Cardinal Collins, edited by Cree Literacy Network, read by Heather Gould & Dolores Greyeyes Sand

tagged: emotions & feelings, friendship, non-classifiable

Description

Encourage children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday actions.

Consultant, international speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with others. With vibrant illustrations from celebrated artist Danielle Daniel, this is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.

Orca Book Publishers is pleased to offer this bilingual book (full text in both English and Plains Cree) in two accessible editions. The audiobook features alternate text descriptions of images, including the cover. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

About the Authors

Monique Gray Smith is a mixed–heritage woman of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry. She is an accomplished consultant, writer and international speaker. Her first novel, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, won the 2014 Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature. Monique and her family are blessed to live on Lkwungen territory in Victoria, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.moniquegraysmith.com.

Danielle Daniel is an author and artist whose first picture book, Parfois je suis un renard, won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was shortlisted for the First Nation Communities Read Award for aboriginal literature. A former elementary school teacher, Danielle is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing through the University of British Columbia. Danielle lives in Little Current, Ontario.

Mary Cardinal Collins is a semi-retired teacher, fluent Cree speaker and translator.

The Cree Literacy Network was created in 2010 to promote Cree language and cultural literacy, in oral form and through literacy materials. Through the essential tool of standard spelling, the Cree Literacy Network supports the fundamental right of Cree speakers to understand and be understood.

Heather Gould is an entrepreneur, artist and voice actor from Victoria, British Columbia.

As a first-language speaker of Plains Cree (nêhiyawêwin), translator Dolores Greyeyes Sand has devoted her career to teaching and promoting Cree language and cultural literacy at every opportunity, proudly following the path laid by her late mother, Dr Freda Ahenakew CM, SOM.

Age:: 3 to 5
Grade:: p to k
Reading age:: 3 to 5

Awards

Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Recommended Reads
Short-listed, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year
Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books
Commended, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best Books
Commended, Quill & Quire's Best Books of the Year

Editorial Reviews

"You Hold Me Up is a gentle but effective way to introduce the topic of Reconciliation to students of all ages."

— ETFO Voice: Magazine of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

“This colourful picture book highlights the important connections that young children make with their friends and family members.”

— Canadian Teacher Magazine

"Ideal for early readers by themselves, for lap-sitting, or as a read-aloud."

— Canadian Literature

"A seemingly simple picture book that conveys a valuable message for all ages…The distinctive and soft illustrations by Daniel enhance the positive message by Smith about the power of companionship, compassion, respect and togetherness…This quiet book has a deep beauty and a universal message. "

— Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award Jury

"A strong and powerful message that even the youngest reader can understand...Very timely message indeed."

— Youth Services Book Reviews

“Warm illustrations help to expand the brief text.”

— The Horn Book Online

"You Hold Me Up is a welcome addition to the ongoing conversations around healing and rebuilding relationships…Gentle, relevant and never heavy-handed, this book serves both as a quiet lullaby and a starting point for discussions on empathy, community and wellness."

— Canadian Children's Book News

“A lovely meditation on compassion and respect...A strong sense of community runs through the poetic text and is warmly depicted in Daniel’s stunning watercolour paintings.”

— 49th Shelf

You Hold Me Up / ê-ohpiniyan

by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel, translated by Mary Cardinal Collins, edited by Cree Literacy Network, read by Heather Gould & Dolores Greyeyes Sand

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