Mi’kmaw author Rebecca Thomas offers an insightful look into the sometimes complicated dynamics of off-reserve life in her book Swift Fox All Along. The story offers a thoughtful perspective on lost cultural practices and the difficult journey some go through to reconnect with their ancestry and culture. Swift Fox All Along leads readers through an engaging storyline that touches on the cultural practices of smudging and frying bannock, while also illustrating the value of acceptance and love of family. The story’s relatable character is one which many students will easily connect to, either for her nervousness, trepidation, or courage. Additionally, the story’s playful illustrations provided by Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish illustrator Maya McKibbin bring the story to life and offer a deeper look into the main character’s inner dialogue. Swift Fox All Along is an invaluable book for any classroom or school library.

36 pp., 9 × 10.25", colour illustrations

Rebecca Thomas (Mi’kmaw) • Maya McKibbin (Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish), illus.

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

Rebecca Thomas is an award-winning Mi'kmaw poet. She is Halifax's former Poet Laureate (2016—2018) and has been published in multiple journals and magazines. She coordinated the Halifax Slam Poetry team from 2014 to 2017, leading them to three national competitions with the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. Her first children's book, I'm Finding My Talk, was a Globe & Mail Top 100 Pick of 2019, as well as a CBC Best Picture Book of 2019, and was nominated for both the 2019 Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children's Literature and the 2019 Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association Best Atlantic-Published Book Award (with companion title I Lost My Talk). The book is a White Ravens 2020 selection, chosen by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, and has been nominated for First Nations Communities READ 2020. Thomas's first adult collection of poetry, I Place You into the Fire, was a CBC Best Canadian Poetry pick of 2020.
Rebecca Thomas, 84 LaPierre Cres, Dartmouth, NS, B2W 5C8

Rebecca Thomas' profile page

Maya McKibbin is a Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish filmmaker, illustrator, and storyteller. Using her education in computer graphics and interactive media, her work is rooted in the natural world and our relations to it.

Maya McKibbin's profile page

• Short-listed, Ann Connor Brimer Award
• Short-listed, The Doug Wright Award
• Short-listed, First Nation Communities READ List
• Short-listed, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
• Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
• Short-listed, Governor General’s Literary Award

“Celebrates learning more about who you are and being proud of your identity. Highly recommended for home, school and public libraries.”

Canadian Children’s Book News, *starred review, Fall/20

“A powerful book about identity and family.”

Waking Brain Cells, 10/12/20

“Both the message of living in a home with separation and pride in culture are important for children to see in stories today.”

Youth Services Book Review, 10/29/20

“A great opportunity for a discussion of culture—what it means and how we become part of one.”

Library Matters, 06/24/20

“Personal and poignant.”

Sal’s Fiction Addiction, 11/18/20

“Earnest and heartfelt . . . A touching story of family and identity, all children will empathize with feeling out of place and wanting to belong.”

Atlantic Books Today, Fall/20

“Highlights the importance of connections to culture and self.”

Kirkus Reviews, 07/28/20

“This is a straightforward tale of a girl finding her way into a culture that is her heritage, yet new to her. As such, it works effectively. This may suit libraries in need of more modern ­Native picture books with child appeal.”

School Library Journal, 08/20

“The story authentically depicts how a child might feel being introduced to a culture that they haven’t had the opportunity to participate in regularly.”

The Horn Book, 11/20

“Spotting the animals on every page, especially Swift Fox’s butterflies, adds another layer to the reader’s experience . . . Many children will find a welcome reflection of real feelings in Swift Fox’s worries.”

Publishers Weekly, 10/26/20

“A touching and universal narrative . . . This title should definitely be added to any list of recommended children’s books focused on indigenous life, family, tradition, feelings, anxiety, fear and self-regulation. Swift Fox All Along is also brimming with cross curricular applications for school use, including incorporation with science, social studies, history, language, and mental health. Highly Recommended.”

CM Reviews, *starred review, 06/19/20