Four Faces of the Moon

by Amanda Strong, Sherry Farrell Racette (Afterword)

On a journey to uncover her family's story, Spotted Fawn travels through time and space to reclaim connection to ancestors, language, and the land-creating a path forward in this graphic novel.

In the dreamworld she bears witness to a mountain of buffalo skulls. They stand as a ghostly monument to the slaughter of the Plains bison to near extinction-- a key tactic to starve and contain the Indigenous People onto reservations. On this path, Spotted Fawn knows she must travel through her own family history to confront the harsh realities of the past and reignite her connection to her people and the land. Her darkroom becomes a portal, and her photographs allow her glimpses into the lives of her relatives over the course of four chapters of this book, which follow the phases of the moon. Time and space become unlocked and unfurl in front of her eyes. Guided by her ancestors, Spotted Fawn's travels through the past allow her to come into full face-like the moon itself.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Indigenous, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Comics, Historical, Middle Grade

202 pages, Hardcover

First published June 8, 2021

About the author

Amanda Strong is a Michif. Indigenous filmmaker, media artist, and stop motion director currently based out of the unceded Coast Salish territory also known as Vancouver, British Columbia. She has exhibited work and screened films worldwide, including at the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Reviews

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Four Faces of the Moon from the library in November. It was displayed in a Native American Heritage Month collection. I was drawn to the beautiful cover. It had been a while since I'd read a graphic novel, so I grabbed it up.

The illustrations in this book are stills from a stop animation film based on the same story. In this story, the author shares the story of her heritage. "We walk with our ancestors, tracing their steps with our own. We come together and carry the stories forward."

Strong belongs to the Métis, a community of a richly mixed heritage of Indigenous people from the North American Plains crossing both the United States and Canadian border. Their lives were closely intertwined with the buffalo. Four Faces of the Moon covers the hardships the Métis faced as white settlers attempted to clear the way on their steady march west across the land. The story is heartbreaking. But at the end of the book, Strong reminds the reader that the story could be read as one of loss, but instead it's one of resilience and courage. It's a story of strong people surviving during tough times and carrying their story forward.

The animated story can be found on YouTube. I intend to seek it out and watch it. I give this book four stars out of five.

[Soula Kosti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

Four Faces of the Moon by Amanda Strong is an essential retelling on the injustices of colonialism. In this graphic novel, Strong relives the stories of her ancestors and the cultural link that Michif, Cree, Nakoda and Anishinaabe Peoples had to the buffalo and the land.

Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the art nor the font chosen for the text, but the story itself is amazing. I liked how Strong made the connection between the phases of the moon and the flow of the story. It really felt like our main character, Spotted Fawn, entered the dreamworld in an attempt to connect with her ancestors by defying time and space. Even though this story is heartbreaking, it's essential to see that colonialism isn't a thing of the past and that we still live with its injustices to this day.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for the ARC!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. This is unlike any other graphic novel I’ve ever read in terms of its art style. Based on a short stop-motion animation film, instead of artwork the book is mostly composed of photography (snippets of said film), meaning there aren’t panels but full- and two-page spreads. I was initially concerned about how the direct translation of film to graphic novel would impact Strong’s ability to tell the story. I needn’t have worried - this was an incredible, powerful read.

The narrative follows Strong, here going by her name Spotted Fawn, who in turn follows the lives of her ancestors. In this way the reader is made witness to the history of the Métis (and so also Turtle Island), as each ancestor lives through a key event. Spotted Fawn is able to learn from her ancestor’s actions, namely that she (and we as humans) have a responsibility to the land; that she (we) belongs to it, not the other way around. Furthermore, her ancestors teach the rightness of Indigenous sovereignty. Spotted Fawn sees these teachings and the connection with her ancestors as a gift, which is was it felt like getting to read about them.

This book pulled a lot of emotions out of me, which I wasn’t expecting. I think I wasn’t expecting them because of my aforementioned apprehension at this being an adaptation. The fact I was so swept away by the emotional current of the story is testament to Strong’s skill as a storyteller - no matter the medium.

One element Strong/Spotted Fawn focusses on, and that I found so shocking, was the decimation of the Plains Buffalo. While it was something I was aware of, I had no idea of the scale of this event. Between 1700 and 1890, the Plains Buffalo population decreased from 65 million to less than 1000, all because colonisers wanted to eradicate the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island by removing a most valued resource. The scale of destruction is staggering, driven home by the piles of buffalo bones that Strong depicts (based on a real-life photograph of a ginormous bone mound). This really exemplified how colonisers care more about owning land than they do protecting it, underlining the teachings of Spotted Fawn’s ancestors.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Four Faces of the Moon in exchange for an honest review.

This was stunning. Told in the form of a short, middle grade graphic novel, Four Faces of the Moon follows its protagonist as she walks alongside her ancestors and examines various past injustices towards Indigenous North Americans (with the story centered mostly if not entirely in Canada) and the way her ancestors preserved past that. It's a blunt and moving look into a part of history we normal ignore and concludes with a more in-depth description of the events being described in the story to make it impossible for the reader to continue in their ignorance.

I especially loved the art in the segments where the MC interacts with her ancestors and the ways magical imagery was linked to her and her ancestors with more sci-fi imagery associated with the destructive settlers. There's just so much packed into such a short page count here.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars--A touching and thought-provoking story of memory, injustice, and culture. I wish the text would have been integrated into the art a little better, but MOON is a winner that shouldn't be missed. This made me really curious to see the animation on which it is based.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read a graphic novel on the Kindle, but here I am trying it out. I didn't like it, and will stick to hard copies for graphic novels. The story was beautiful. The illustrations were amazing. Maybe the people illustrations could have been a bit different. But that is a minor gripe. I almost gave this four stars, because the text was difficult to read sometimes. I thought maybe it was just me, but I see other people comments on the text. I was able to read it, and I still loved this graphic novel.

I will say this is sad in some parts, like really sad, but just gives you hope of the next generation. I would read from this author again, and very much recommend the graphic novel. I think it would be good even if you aren't a graphic novel fan.

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and evocative. An incredible, terribly sad story we need to hear.

MPA ratings: G

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this graphic novel from my local library while simply browsing the shelves. It took me a bit to get into at first because the art initially felt like a bit of a clunky collage with stop motion elements- also I’d pick a different font for the text. However, as I read, I could tell this book was very important, richly layered, and evocative. I gathered that the story is rather autobiographical for author Amanda Strong (aka Spotted Fawn) as she tells the story of her ancestors- from her grandmother to her 4xGreat-grandfather. Generations of indigenous Michif people (Canadian near the US border) have endured so many wrongs along with the sad fate of the once-numerous bison. I found myself drawn into the tragic story, the poignant art (very powerful moments throughout especially through emotions visible in the eyes as well as allusions to real pictures), the inclusion of native tongue, and the magical realism. I’m so glad this story is being told- recorded for posterity- to survive many more generations and to inform us so cultural and environmental wrongs aren’t repeated. I got so much out of the book, but I also enjoyed tracking down the short stop-motion video as well: https://youtu.be/rWe--sysNkk

[Noora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful tale. I wish i could hear it from the author's lips

[Jaime M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely wanted to write a review for this because it’s a really good book.
Im Métis, the author and other knowledge keepers in the book are Métis - what an excellent summary job on who the Métis are with historic moments in n Turtle Island and with the nation of Canada.
There are a lot of intricacies and nuances explained about Metis people and culture in this book. It’s powerful and I would recommend it for 7 +.
Give this book as a gift to all your friends in Indigenous studies. It only took me 40 mins to read but I’m familiar with the content information however, the artwork and intense artistry that went in the story and creations will be something to look at over and over again.

This is the Métis book for newcomers, new readers, and most especially it’s for those Canadians who don’t really know that much about the Métis.
It’s superb quality info and design.

[Tuğba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful graphic novel! I fell in love with the powerful illustrations and the stop motion collages. This is about the author's ancestors who are the Métis Nation, and she weaves their stories into the mistreatments of the canadian government, fur traders, treaties not honored, 65 million buffaloes being slaughtered just to kill the Native Peoples and their connection to their land. I'm so glad that she chose to put this book together because people need to learn the truth from the people who experienced it first hand.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this is based off a stop motion. I would love to see it. This is important history told through beautiful images (from the stop motion) and it's worth reading. I'm so glad stories like this are available to teach history to younger audiences.

[~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

-informative
-a really cool medium

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 rounded down to 3.

[BookDrunkard is on storygraph as bookdrunkard78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique use of stop animation and actual photographs to tell a story of how the Metís people were driven from their homes by colonizers. The fact that the people and the buffalo survived after the government tried to extinguish them is nothing short of a miracle.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Four Faces of the Moon' is a unique artistic experience, where the original stop-motion film gets translated into the graphic novel media, and the story is just ethereal and based on the history of the Métis, but retold as if it was the matter of legends... as I guess it truly is.

I found the Afterword in this volume particularly revealing and informative, and I'm sad to say I almost enjoyed it more than the story itself, which felt too abstract and superficial in the development of characters for my liking.

Still, really powerful people, and really interesting window onto a part of History that shouldn't be forgotten.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Four Faces of the Moon from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Four Faces of the Moon is adapted from the stop-motion animated film by the author-creator of this graphic novel. It follows Amanda Strong’s journal and adventure through her family’s story in understanding her ancestors and the culture and history that came before her. This was a different graphic novel than what I’m used to reading - you can really see how the images of the stop-motion came to form this graphic novel - and I think the transition to this media form still worked out. The graphics in this story draw you into the story and the transitions between each person’s story is well done so that you are able to make the connections and follow along with the history and stories being told. The graphic novel is very informative as it draws upon historical events while providing the personal narrative - allowing readers to understand that history is personal. And while mainstream history may gloss over certain events, there are real and personal people to whom that history affects and lives on through. Four Faces of the Moon is a great graphic novel that will connect young readers to this history, engaging in important discussions about the history and development of North America seen through some of the Indigenous People’s perspectives.

Thank you to Annick Press for the gifted copy.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I share my thoughts on this graphic novel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmFy6...

[Sophie Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Four Faces of the Moon by Amanda Strong is a graphic novel based on an animated short film of the same name. Amanda Strong is descended from the Metis and she imagines traveling through space and time to bear witness to her ancestors and tell the story of the Metis people.

During the story, the narrator hears her grandmother stand up for herself when berated in school by the schoolmasters, she witnesses her great-great-grandfather fight at the Battle of Batoche, and she sees another ancestor meet a railroad surveyor working to lay the tracks that would go on to divide the land her ancestors roamed for generations. She also comes face to face with a herd of ghostly buffalo, the spirits of the creatures slaughtered to help control First Nations people.

This was a deeply spiritual book that is also highly educational. The histories of native people are rarely taught in schools and so Sophie learned more about the Metis and the events that shaped their history in this short book than in the rest of her life so far. A lifelong train fan, she also learned a lot about how the railroads were used against the Metis and many other tribes, disrupting the buffalo herds they relied upon and dividing the land. It is a deeply moving story that made Sophie want to learn more about this part of history.

The short film this book is based on uses stop motion animation and stills from this are used for the illustrations here. Sophie didn’t feel these were a great choice: the lighting was dark and the images not always clear, which detracted from the story. While the stop-motion look works beautifully in the film, visually, the book failed to capture the heart that comes through in the animation.

Four Faces of the Moon is a moving story that Sophie would recommend reading, she also recommends that you watch the original film which is available on YouTube and Vimeo.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded this one up thanks to the afterword and timeline at the end and also some of my disappointment with this was explained by the author's bio. They're a stop-motion artist and it showed. I have been repulsed by those kind of characters since childhood, probably traumatized by the Thunderbirds as a kid in the 70s. I can barely stand Rudolph. So the art in this was a fail across the board for me and that's why I went for the fourth star. It's my deal not the artist's.

The other mildly disappointing thing to me is the history is something I have heard so many times (however freaking sad that is) but I remind myself that this is probably aimed at those younger than me and haven't spent decades studying Indigenous history, heartbreaking as it is and so that's another reason to four star this.

We're hearing the author's family history which mirrors so many other Indigenous stories. From the more benign trading alliance beginnings to the full on genocidal colonization and war to the outright slaughter of bison down to just a handful left in North America as another way of destroying the Indigenous people.

For me I wish Strong would have focused less on her grandfathers many times removed and more on her grandmother who managed to survive and reject both the Indian schools and the Catholic Church, both of which did so much harm to the Indigenous people. To me her grandmother is the most interesting character and the one who is in the spotlight the least.

The afterward does a light dive into the history which I thought would be nice for someone who doesn't know it well.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few days ago, so my memory on the story isn't quite as sharp as I'd like, but nonetheless:

Characters: 5/10 stars
The characters were fine. Because we went from person to person so quickly, it was hard to connect with any of them. The problems compound because "Four Faces" is essentially a visual-novel version of a history textbook, leaving our characters in the same light of historical figures rather than people.

Plot/pacing: 6/10 stars
I wish we spent more time in every location, but especially in the present; we see Spotted Fawn learn about her tribe's past, but we didn't see how it affected her current life.

Art/dialogue: 9/10 stars
I know it was originally a short story, but I really enjoy the stop-motion look in print, especially in the parts where Strong painted over the photo, like in the fire (at least it looked that way!). I do agree that the font and general integration of dialogue wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't too distracting. My main problem with the dialogue was that there was so little of it, so it was hard to understand what was happening through the story.

Enjoyability: 8/10 stars
I thought Four Faces was an interesting read that sometimes struggled with character development and making the plot clear to the reader.

Historical Contexts: 10/10 stars
The strongest point in Four Faces is acting as a brief historical launchpad for learning Michif history; the story is constructed around visiting important historical landmarks in their past.

(5+6+9+8+10)/50 =

3.8 stars, rounded up

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda Strong tells a personal journey in which she looks for a connection with her Métis heritage. When she became 14 years old, she was given a Métis name meaning Spotted Fawn. After that, she has a dream of a spotted fawn in a forest when another fawn runs being followed by an arrow. In this dream she realizes that she was chasing after her own spirit. In this dreamworld, she sees a pile of Buffalo skulls heaped into a high hill. Why? In Strong’s darkroom, photographs of her relatives emerge. The first one she sees is her grandmother who confronts and fights injustice. Despite the horrible treatment by the church, she still has a compassion and helps other and keeps her Métis spirit intact. As she continues her personal journey, she learns the history and values of the Métis.

This graphic novel is adapted from an animated film. There are several pages that give important background and circumstances. I wasn’t familiar with the history of Western Canada. It is a valuable graphic novel that has taught me much about the Métis too. This story includes the settlement and the railroad expansion. It is a story that gives more than history but also insight.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We walk with our ancestors, tracing their steps with our own. We come together and carry the stories forward.” -- from back cover of Four Faces of the Moon

On a journey to uncover her family's story, Spotted Fawn travels through time and space to reclaim connection to ancestors, language, and the land-creating a path forward. (publisher summary)

What a poignant story of the Métis people. With sparse wording and artwork gleaned from the stop-motion film on which it is based, Amanda “Spotted Fawn” Strong shares the impact that European settlement and the building of railroads had on her people and the land they occupied. So much is conveyed on so few pages with so few words. But I felt the pain of the loss of the buffalo and the heart-breaking loss of the promise made to the Métis by Europeans for land.

The graphic novel includes an introduction by the author that was helpful in framing the story and ensuring I got all I could from the images that followed. An afterword by Sherry Farrell Racette provides a bit of additional detail about the Métis. In addition, there is a timeline to help readers place events as well as a short list of suggestions for further reading.

[Tabatha Shipley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Did Like:
-Symbolism in the story is illustrated well by the artistry. Really a beautiful telling of the history.
-The back pages, where the publisher made the choice to include factual information, was well written. Although I could see this coming off as “textbooky” to younger readers, it was smart to put it at the end. You’re already invested in the story at that point so it reads well.
-Absolutely beautiful art. The stop motion was original and the coloring was perfect. I loved that.

Who Should Read This One:
-Look, it’s fast. I read the entire thing in less than half an hour and that was me going slow so I could enjoy the art work. It’s worth your time. You’ll learn something and it’s beautiful.

My Rating: 5 Stars
-With a blend of history, art work, poetry, and beautiful symbolism … this is for everyone.

For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/...

[Levi Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“On a journey to uncover her family's story, Spotted Fawn travels through time and space to reclaim connection to ancestors, language, and the land-creating a path forward in this graphic novel. In the dreamworld she bears witness to a mountain of buffalo skulls. They stand as a ghostly monument to the slaughter of the Plains bison to near extinction-- a key tactic to starve and contain the Indigenous People onto reservations. On this path, Spotted Fawn knows she must travel through her own family history to confront the harsh realities of the past and reignite her connection to her people and the land. Her darkroom becomes a portal, and her photographs allow her glimpses into the lives of her relatives over the course of four chapters of this book, which follow the phases of the moon.
Time and space become unlocked and unfurl in front of her eyes. Guided by her ancestors, Spotted Fawn's travels through the past allow her to come into full face-like the moon itself.”

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels incredibly poignant given the media coverage and conversation regarding Residential Schools.

But for me, this book covered a topic that has specifically haunted me from a young age, which was the slaughter of an estimated 40 million Buffalo. I remember seeing a picture similar to Amanda Strong'sdepiction of a towering pile of buffalo skulls. I'm sure there was some 2 line blurb about it. Or maybe even a whole paragraph. But what I know is that it didn't address the fact that this was an attempt to starve the Indigenous peoples of America and Canada.

This book looks at the history that we aren't shown, and I honestly wish I could go back in time and hand this book to myself.

This book is gorgeous and informational. Strong provides so much knowledge as well as additional resources. I would honestly recommend it to everyone.

[Ta || bookishbluehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Faces of the moon was totally different to what I normally read. It has an amazing but heartbreaking story about colonialism and connecting with the past.

The illustrations were beautiful and drew me into the story right away, as I understand there is also a stop-motion film and I definitely need to check that one out.

The story was so interesting for me, since in school we never talked about colonialism (we have our own dark past to cover…) and I think it’s a topic not talked about enough. It was very informative, and I actually learned some new things.

I wished it would have been a little longer and in depth, but since I’m not the primary target audience the length is probably more appropriate for younger children then a much longer book.
Overall a great story and beautiful images I recommend to everyone.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not know much about the Me'tis natives. Their land was mostly in Canada but they got the same raw deals and bigotry that the Native Americans did. This book is an adaptation of a stop motion movie and the pictures say a great deal more than the words at times. It is a family legacy story that is told simply so that even a younger child can follow it. But to me, as an adult, there is a deep poignancy to it.

I would love to now read a biography of her grandmother. She said no to a lot of what was being done. SHe sounds awesome. But her strength is something she passed on to her grandaughter who is the protagonist of the book. Knowing your family history is something that helps you feel bigger than, that you are part of something that spans generations. I wish all kids had that. It can be a gift of resiliance. This, I know.

[Sarah AK · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was clearly a very personal story, and I commend the time and energy that went into making the stop-motion film of this. I think I would have preferred watching that, as reading a book made of stills has never really satisfied me. This was intended as a film, and I feel without audio, it lacks that critical emotional component. While I don't ever want to knock on someone's unique art style, in this book format I felt the stop-motion puppets clashed too much with the heartbreaking story of colonialism and massacre.

I just Googled the film. You can watch it for free on YouTube. It's 12 minutes long, and much more moving to see this story as it was intended. It's not narrated the way the book is, so I do believe I understand the film better because I read this, but I would recommend watching this one rather than reading it. Or do both...