Description
★ Starred selection for CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023!
Hoarders. Scavengers. Clever foragers. Bringers of new life.
Ravens have many roles, both for the land and in Gitxsan story and song. The sixth book in Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)’s Mothers of Xsan series transports young readers to Northwestern British Columbia, where they will learn about the traditions of the Gitxsan, the lives of ravens, and why these acrobatic flyers are so important to their ecosystem.
Follow along as Nox Gaak, the raven mother, teaches her chicks what they need to survive with the help of her flock.
Author Bio
Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson (he/him/his), is an award-winning storyteller and artist from the Gitxsan Nation in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia. Having grown up in this strong matrilineal society, he is passionate about his people's land and way of life. He founded Aluu'taa, an Indigenous research organization where he is developing new methods to bridge the gap between Indigenous knowledges and Western sciences. With his family's support, Brett continues to share stories through research, writing, art, and by creating spaces for Indigenous researchers and knowledge carriers.
Natasha Donovan (she/her/hers) is a Métis illustrator originally from Vancouver, British Columbia. Her sequential work has been published in This Place: 150 Years Retold and Wonderful Women of History. She is the illustrator of the award-winning Surviving the City graphic novel series and Mothers of Xsan children's book series, as well as Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer and the forthcoming A Good Hide by Karina Iceberg. She lives on an island in British Columbia with her family. @natashamdonovan
Prizes
Among California Reading Association's Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards, Honor Awards (2023)
Winner 2023Shortlisted for OLA's Yellow Cedar Award
Nominated 2024Among California Reading Association's Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards, Honor Awards (2023)
Winner- Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar AwardCommended 2024
- PMC Indigenous Literature AwardLong-listed 2023
Shortlisted for OLA's Yellow Cedar Award
Nominated- SWCC's Book Awards, Children and YouthShort-listed 2023
- OLA's Yellow Cedar AwardShort-listed 2023
Review Quotes
[Author Brett D. Huson is] Among BC Booklook's Who's Who
Among CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023, starred selection of exceptional caliber
— CCBCMake room in your science curriculum for books like The Raven Mother by Hetx’wms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson).
Among CBC Books 36 Canadian middle-grade books to watch for in fall 2022
A rich mix of nature and culture, pointing out connections between the two.
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.
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.
Among American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best Books 2022
