Nokum Is My Teacher

Will you walk with me, Grandmother? Will you talk with me a while? I'm finding life confusing And I'm looking for some answers To questions all around me At that school and on the street. You have always been here for me Will you help me learn to see?

Nokum Is My Teacher is the poetic story of a young aboriginal boy, posing questions to his grandmother, his "Nokum," about the wider world beyond the familiarity of their home and community. Through a series of questions, Nokum guides her grandson towards an understanding of his need to fit into and learn more about this large world beyond the reserve. Nokum offers her grandson a vision of a world he can enter through imagination and reading, while retaining respect for the ways of his people. By the conclusion of the book, the young grandson has learned many new ideas from his grandmother and discovered his own wisdom in dealing with the changes in his life.

"The universal themes of validating education and receiving guidance from elder family members will resonate with elementary school-age children. The authentic Cree voice, artwork, and music, provide a taste of the native culture in a context that unites the concerns of children across time and place. This book will be well-received for the value of its story as well its celebration of the identity of one of North America's First Nations." --Foreword Reviews

David Bouchard's books have won several prestigious awards, among them the Canadian Aboriginal Book of the Year in 2007 for Nokum Is My Teacher. He is the author of many books for young readers including An Aboriginal Carol, Rainbow Crow and The First Flute. David lives in British Columbia.

Allen Sapp was an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Canadian Academy of Arts. A Cree elder, he was raised by his grandmother on the Red Pheasant reserve in Saskatchewan. The memory of this tender relationship spawned in Sapp some of his finest and most sensitive works, bringing to his canvas a sense of affection and love. He died in 2015.