The Rainbow, the Midwife & the Birds: 4 Dene Tales

by Raymond Yakeleya, Samantha Gibbon (Illustrator), Rich Theroux (Illustrator)

The book contains four Dene stories, as told by Raymond Yakeleya. "Flight Through the Rainbow" is about flying through a rainbow in a small plane and experiencing multi-sensations of colour. It also tells the legend of the spider and how its web catches raindrops that create the rainbow. "The Midwife and the Spirit of Life," dedicated to Raymond's Granny Harriet Gladue, is about the birth of babies and bringing their spirits into the world. "The Slingshot and the Songbird" is about a boy's sadness over killing a friendly songbird. "The Medicine Brothers and the Giant Birds" is a tale told to Raymond by his uncle George Blondin about the hazards of giant animals when the world was new. The book also contains Dene language translation throughout. An animated film and videogame can also be accessed though QR codes in the book.

Genres: Indigenous

40 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2023

Reviews

[Blair Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of family stories and Dene teachings. I listened to the audiobook, as narrated by the author himself. You can feel the love and respect he has for his family and the land they call home through his gentle voice and honest reflections. This was a lovely bedtime story.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these tales with Dene translations. I wish every Nation would publish at least one!