The Raven Mother makes an effective springboard into learning about ecosystems and Indigenous connection to land. The newest installment in the award-winning Mothers of Xsan series supports the learning of many science concepts. Nonfiction and story formats are masterfully woven together to showcase information about the coastal forest ecosystem and the raven’s role within it. Text boxes with science definitions, Gitxsan translations embedded within text, and vibrant illustrations work together to provide multiple ways to access knowledge. The raven, as one animal in this ecosystem, plays a valuable role, burying seeds and fertilizer and working symbiotically with wolves to help them both obtain sustenance. The seasonal cycles provide structure to this nonfiction story and also highlight the Gitxsan connection with land and fauna. This rich resource supports learning about food webs, seasons, Indigenous worldviews, life cycles, and symbiotic relationships. It has been shortlisted for SWCC's Book Awards, 2023.

Other End Matter: Information about the Gitxsan Nation, Gitxsan Moons, Map of Gitxsan territory
Images: Colour illustrations
Contributor Affiliation: Author Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) (Gitxsan), Illustrator Natasha Donovan (Métis)
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - Indigenous Books for Schools

Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson (he/him/his), is from the Gitxsan Nation of the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Growing up in this strong matrilineal society, Brett developed a passion for the culture, land, and politics of his people, and a desire to share their knowledge and stories. Brett has worked in the film and television industry for over 13 years and is a volunteer board member for organizations such as Ka Ni Kanichihk and sākihiwē festival. Brett also works with the Prairie Climate Centre to connect western science and Indigenous Knowledges.

The award-winning Mothers of Xsan series is Brett’s first series of books and part of a larger vision to share the worlds of the Gitxsan Nation. With the support of his wife, Jeri, and their children, Warren and Ruby, Brett endeavours to continue sharing stories with his writing, artwork, and photography.

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw Brett D. Huson's profile page

Natasha Donovan is the illustrator of the award-winning Mothers of Xsan series (written by Brett Huson). She illustrated the graphic novel Surviving the City (written by Tasha Spillett), which won a Manitoba Book Award and received an American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA) honor. She also illustrated Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer which won an Orbis Pictus Honor Book and an American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA). Natasha is Métis, and spent her early life in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although she moved to the United States to marry a mathematician, she prefers to keep her own calculations to the world of color and line. She lives in Washington. www.natashadonovan.com

Natasha Donovan's profile page

• Commended, Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar Award
• Short-listed, Animal Behavior Society Outstanding Children’s’ Book Award
• Long-listed, PMC Indigenous Literature Award
• Short-listed, OLA's Yellow Cedar Award
• Commended, Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards
• Short-listed, SWCC's Book Awards, Children and Youth
• Nominated, Shortlisted for OLA's Yellow Cedar Award
• Winner, Among California Reading Association's Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards, Honor Awards (2023)

Filled with accessible information about ecosystems and culture, The Raven Mother is an enjoyable read that will be a great teaching tool for the target audience. I quite enjoyed reading it and will definitely be sharing it with my own child when she’s older. And I am going to gush about the artwork in this book. I really really loved everything about it, so major props to Natasha Donovan.

The Library Ladies

Among CBC Books 36 Canadian middle-grade books to watch for in fall 2022

CBC Books

Among American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best Books 2022

American Indians in Children's Literature

A rich mix of nature and culture, pointing out connections between the two.

Kirkus Reviews

Among CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023, starred selection of exceptional caliber

CCBC

Make room in your science curriculum for books like The Raven Mother by Hetx’wms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson).

American Indians in Children's Literature

In the midst of a climate crisis, it has never been more important to understand how ecosystems work. That’s why Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, or Brett D. Huson, of the Gitxsan Nation in northwestern British Columbia, decided to write engaging and informative books about the creatures on his home territory. The illustrator...brings Huson’s storytelling to life through bold hues and the dynamic style of graphic novel illustrations.

Prairie Books Now

Read The Raven Mother, along with the other five titles in the series, for a satisfying perspective of the Gitxsan culture that is so closely aligned with the natural world. Highly Recommended.

CM Reviews

[Author Brett D. Huson is] Among BC Booklook's Who's Who

BC Booklook