Stand Like a Cedar by Nicola I. Campbell and is a beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. As we move through the forest, students learn the names of animals in Nłeʔkepmxcín. This children’s book is a celebration of sustainability as it connects the reader to the land through lyrical storytelling and breathtaking art. The reader discovers new sights and sounds with every read. This book is a celebration of the environment, wildlife, and the Indigenous connection to land. Stand Like a Cedar describes the relationship between humans and the animal kingdom. At the end of the book, a glossary of Nłeʔkepmxcín words and phrases includes Halq’emeylem language translations.

40 pp., 8.125 × 7.75", colour illustrations

Nicola I. Campbell (Nłeʔkepmx, Syilx, and Métis, from BC) • Carrielynn Victor (S’olh Temexw), illus.

Source: Association of Book Publishers of BC - Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools (2021-2022)

Nicola I. Campbell is the author of Shi-shi-etko, Shin-chi’s Canoe, Grandpa’s Girls, and A Day With Yayah. Nłeʔkepmx, Syilx, and Métis, Nicola is from British Columbia. Her stories weave cultural and land-based teachings that focus on respect, endurance, healing, and reciprocity.

She has been a finalist for numerous children’s literary awards, and her book Shin-chi’s Canoe won the 2009 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award as well as the 2008 Governor General's Award for Illustration. She lives in British Columbia.

 

Nicola I. Campbell's profile page

Carrielynn Victor is fueled by the passion to tell stories through her art. Her ancestors come from around the world, descending from bloodlines in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales that arrived in the Americas in the 1600s, and Coast Salish ancestors that have been sustained by S’olh Temexw (our land) since time immemorial. Carrielynn was born and raised in S’olh Temexw and nurtured by many parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Along with a thriving art practice, Carrielynn maintains a communal role as a plant practitioner. The responsibilities for traditional plant practitioners range from protection and preservation of lands to networking and trade to harvest and preparation methods. These understandings are reflected in the artwork and knowledge Carrielynn contributes to her communities. Carrielynn also operates an environmental consultancy, based out of Chilliwack, BC, which reviews and reports on projects with a blended focus, pairing Sto:lo cultural and heritage understanding with ecological knowledge.

Carrielynn’s work speaks to the differences and similarities between ancient and modern understandings. The foundation of an intrinsic connection to the land provides Carrielynn with the understandings and perspectives she utilizes in her Coast Salish art practice. The values found in carrying forward ancestral knowledge and incorporating that knowledge with environmental sciences, as well as the arts, is a lifelong learning journey and a key part of Carrielynn’s working practice.

Carrielynn Victor's profile page

• Nominated, Surrey School District’s Narrative Non-Fiction Book of the Year

Among Indigo's Best Kids' Books of 2021

Indigo

[An] evocative book that poetically explores how important it is for us to see ourselves as part of the land. Victor’s illustrations bring that world to life.

The Globe and Mail

Among Top Recommended Reads for TD Summer Reading Club

TD Summer Reading Club

Exquisitely illustrated picture book...a tender evocation of the joys of nature and family, [and] a celebration of Indigenous language. Highly recommended.

Calgary Herald

Nicola Campbell offers a poetic song about excursions into the wild throughout the seasons. Abundance, respect, gratitude and intergenerational closeness suffuse Campbell’s poem. Carrielynn Victor’s illustrations reflect a lovely diaphanous beauty.

Toronto Star

Paired with illustrations by Carrielynn Victor, Stand Like a Cedar shines brightly, in both its text and artwork.

Quill & Quire

Campbell's rhythmic writing is wonderful, conveying important messages about the environment and family. Victor's vibrant renderings accompany the engaging text nicely. Bold illustrations portray elements such as weather, nature, and animals alongside evocative details like glowing skylines.

Kirkus Reviews