Giju's Gift: Volume 1

Long ago, all living creatures on this land shared a special balance with one another. The pugulatmu'j--the Little People--were the original guardians of the land, and they looked after all living things. As time passed, we forgot these playful yet powerful guardians, but they did not forget us. Occasionally, they make their presence known with the little tricks they play.

When her hair clip disappears, Mali is devastated. It was special, made by her giju'. Her mom thinks she lost it, but Mali knows it was stolen by the pugulatmu'j.

Soon after, Mali is surprised to meet Puug--and he's wearing her hair clip. If she helps him find what he needs, she has a chance of getting it back. As they hunt for the objects on Puug's list, Mali uncovers a lot of unanswered questions along the way.

Why is there a giant chasing them? Will she really get her hair clip back? And why is Puug collecting these things anyway?

Join Mali and Puug as they race to keep one step ahead of an ancient giant in the first volume of this graphic novel series for young readers.

From Listuguj, Quebec, Brandon Mitchell is the founder of Birch Bark Comics and creator of the Sacred Circles comic series, which draws on his Mi'kmaq heritage. He has written five books with the Healthy Aboriginal Network, (Lost Innocence, Drawing Hope, River Run, Making it Right, and Emily's Choice). Brandon has written and illustrated Jean-Paul's Daring Adventure: Stories from Old Mobile for the University of Alabama, as well as two Mi'qmaq language-based stories for the Listugui Education Directorate. He has also completed an art installation for Heritage and Culture New Brunswick. Brandon currently resides in Fredericton, New Brunswick.@writerbrandonmitchell

Veronika Barinova is an emerging illustrator currently living in Calgary. She has a Bachelor in Visual Communication Design from the Alberta University of the Arts, and works primarily in digital media. Born in Moscow, Russia, Veronika is inspired by the 90s, occult fiction, and Slavic folk tales. Her work focuses on creating engaging characters and immersive worlds for readers, and her stories often have mystical or supernatural themes with a comedic undertone. Her previous work appeared in the animated film Buddy's Buddy, for which she worked as a background artist.

Britt Wilson (she/her/hers) is a ceramic artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and letterer. A graduate from Sheridan College, Britt is the author/illustrator of Britt Wilson's Greatest Book on Earth, Ghost Queen, and Cat Dad, King of the Goblins. An expressive letterer, her whimsical style in the mini-series Fionna and Cake (Boom! Studios) was nominated for a Harvey and Eisner award. She lives in Toronto with her family, two cats, and way too many houseplants.