Nipêhon / ᓂᐯᐦᐅᐣ / I Wait

by Caitlin Dale Nicholson, Leona Morin-Neilson (Translator)

A young child, her grandmother and mother are going out to pick wild yarrow. As Grandmother gets ready, the child and her mom wait. Grandmother leads the way to the field of blossoms, where they can finally start to pick … only now they have to wait for Mom!

The simple story, written in Cree and English and accompanied by rich acrylic illustrations, shows the patience, love and humor involved as three generations accommodate one another on a family outing. nipêhon / ᓂᐯᐦᐅᐣ / I Wait was translated by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was the inspiration for the book.

This companion volume to niwîcihâw / I Help includes a recipe for yarrow tea, known for its refreshing and soothing effects.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Nature, Indigenous, Canada, Native American

24 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2017

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author/artist Caitlin Dale Nicholson and translator Leona Morin-Neilson, who worked together on the beautiful bilingual Cree-English picture-book Niwechihaw / I Help back in 2008, join forces once again in this new title. Once again we see Nohkôm (or grandmother) leading the way, as she and her daughter and granddaughter all head out to gather some wild yarrow. Everything that Nohkôm does, from walking to praying, is imitated by her younger relatives. Almost...

Having enjoyed Niwechihaw / I Help some years ago, when I first read it, I was quite excited to see that this duo (who seem to be related, to judge by the blurb at the rear of the book) had produced a second title. The first thing I noticed, after picking Nipêhon / ᓂᐯᐦᐅᐣ / I Wait up, is that the Cree text here is represented in both the Latin alphabet and Cree syllabics. Although it is not mentioned anywhere in the book, that I could find, it is Western Cree syllabics being used. Happily, it would appear that the first book was republished last year (2018) in a new edition that also uses the Cree syllabics. Leaving that aside, I found this as appealing as its predecessor. An excellent introduction to some Cree vocabulary, it also offers a gentle look at three generations of a Cree family, as they head out to gather nature's bounty. I loved the little bit of humor here, where Mom isn't picking as she should, instead blowing at what looks like a dandelion. The artwork is lovely - full-page paintings are paired with very minimal text at the bottom of each page - done in acrylic paint in a somewhhat impressionistic style. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring the Cree language and culture.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, gentle, funny book for little ones. Love that it's bilingual Cree/ English and also uses both English alphabet and Cree alphabet to write it out. Love that it's just a day with a family together, taking a walk. Measured and sweet, with lovely artwork.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cree language is interesting! I think that given enough time, I could learn the symbols.

I was trying to figure out the verb configuration, but was confused because it seemed like there are some rules that aren't easily discernible from such a small data set. Kind of wish the book were a little longer and that different conjugations of verbs would appear on adjoining pages so it would be easier to compare them.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad to see this sequel! The story is just as cute and concise as the first story. Not only is this in both Cree and English, but it also includes a Cree syllabics portion on every page as well. The illustrations are just as beautiful as they were in the first book (which is incredibly beautiful, I might add).

This is perfect for any kids learning to read, whether in Cree or in English. Definitely recommended.

[Elizabeth]

I saw Alia Jones' review of this 2017 book on AICL and got both this and the 2008 Niwechihaw / I Help from the library.

Unlike the earlier book, this book has text in Cree syllabics, not just Romanized Cree.

Whereas the outdoor illustrations of Niwechihaw / I Help were suffused with yellow, this one is suffused with green. There is a recipe for yarrow tea at the back and again, I had not realized that yarrow was what they were picking (I often read the illustrations as dandelion puffs).

As with the previous book, though I think this protagonist is meant to be read as female (the characters are Nôhkom, Mom, and the child [well, and a dog, who never gets talked about], all with similar bangs+pageboy haircuts, and the author writes, "I'd like to dedicate this book to the women and girls who have passed through my life and taught me many valuable lessons."), the sparse text and first-person narration mean the protagonist is never explicitly gendered (and this time everyone's wearing pants).

This story seemed to go much more quickly than Niwechihaw / I Help -- maybe because there's room for fewer actions now that there are more characters (each action takes 3 pages instead of 2, and the author often chooses to put a text-free illustration on the off pages; plus the disruption to the mirroring takes more pages in this book than the previous one). [I counted, and this has 5 mirrored verbs, whereas I Help has 10, so yeah, that's half as many, though they're each 20 pages long.] So it felt to me like there was a lot less there there.

[Sandra Vander Schaaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up both of Caitlyn Dale Nicholson's picture books last week—"I Wait" and "I Help"— and am delighted to recommend them both. The paintings serve as an invitation into a quiet space that is at once personal and universal. The interplay of text and image is exquisite. I am amazed at how full and rich the stories are with no more than two or three words to a page. I especially appreciate the humour infused in the stories, with such a light touch.

The story-behind-the-story also moves me. These books are the result of a creative collaboration between Caitlyn Dale Nicholson (artist and author) and Leona Morin-Neilson (translator and inspiration). Seeing the text in Cree (first) and then in English at the bottom of each page underlines both the breadth of the invitation and the breadth of the story. These beautiful books are an act of reclamation of a language too long threatened by settler-colonial forces of white-supremacy.

The recommendation for these books came to me by way of an online discussion on Cree language resources. I'm grateful for the suggestion as my encounter with these books has been a delight. May they be well and broadly received.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in both Cree and English, this picture book quietly celebrates three generations of women in a Cree family. As the grandmother gets ready, a little girl and her mother wait. They all walk out into the fields together, then they all pray. They gather yarrow together, the mother a little bit more slowly than the others. Then they are done! Told in very simple sentences of just a few words, this picture book shows written Cree, Cree in English letters and also English. There is a gentle solemnity to the book, a feeling of importance and family. The illustrations are done in acrylic and show the landscape and also the three very different members of the family as they work together. Beautifully presented, this is a glimpse into modern Cree life for young readers. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about an afternoon with three generations. A girl visits the beautiful prairies with her mother,grandmother (nokhom), and canine companion to pick yarrow.

It is written simplely, so a beginning reader won't be intimidated to pick it up. It is also bilingual with the Y dialect of Cree and English, and romanized pronunciation of the Cree words beside the Cree syllabics. The Abugida, English, and romanization are all read right to left which makes for easy orientation for the beginning reader of Cree or English.

The acrylic illustrations bring the prairies alive. You can see the movement of the plants in the wind.
Highly recommended as a bilingual book and as a beginning reader book, as well as one for fans of nature paintings.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in Cree and English, this picture book follows a family, a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother, as they set out to gather wild yarrow for tea that will be used later to soothe ailments. The preparation, the solemnity, and the reverence with which they approach this task as well as the opportunity it provides for some playfulness and bonding are evident in every line and illustration. The acrylic illustrations are outstanding and show the three females enjoying their time amid nature's bounties. The story is simple, quiet yet very respectful of the entire gathering process. For the adventurous, there's even a recipe for yarrow tea as part of the back matter.

[Karen Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grandmother, mother, and daughter set out to gather yarrow to make tea. Very simplistic sentences which are written in two forms of Cree and English. The story is accompanied by rich and beautiful acrylic illustrations. It is an introduction to the Cree culture and the ritual of collecting yarrow. A recipe is included in the very back. A very simple story with the theme of family but left me wanting to know more.

[B.G. Clyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple but beautiful story of a grandmother, mother and daughter gathering yarrow flowers and leaves to make yarrow tea. The story is told richly colored pictures and few words (Cree and English). A good introduction to cultural differences and similarities.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in Cree—romanized and syllabics—it tells of the ritual gathering of yarrow flowers by three generations of First Nations women in Canada—the relational aspect of the story is very important here. This book is so spare and beautiful in its text and illustrations—maybe from pictures?—that it leaves lots of room for the reader to enter in too.

[Sheri Radford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how the text in this picture book is written in English and two forms of Cree.

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple story written in Cree and English about collecting the ingredients for yarrow tree. It has beautifully painted illustrations ad very simple text.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is very simple, which was lovely since Maddie could help read. Kait’s very interested in books with multiple languages now and the new (to her) knowledge of indigenous languages in Canada.

[Lisa]

I quite enjoyed the illustrations and the exposure to different languages was interesting.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, sweet story of a young girl and her grandmother and mother gathering herbs.