Keith Egawa

If you are looking for a teaching text to start a conversation with kids about water conservation, ecological/climate concerns, or Coast Salish indigenous beliefs, pick this one up. The authors do a great job making understanding the natural world relatable for kids, and empowering kids as advocates. I appreciate the many strong messages -- not only to understand how all life is related and that we have already lost so much by damaging the planet, but also that each person can make a difference, that young kids can lead changes, and that practicing public speaking is one of the tools that leads to change.… (more)

These pages pack a powerful message with a focus on environmental issues facing the world's oceans and the importance of them to our planet.

Shiny is born as a very intuitive and caring whale, who learns all about life in the ocean and the balance of nature from his mother. His destiny has him then turning into a human, where he becomes the brother of a girl and teaches her about the importance of life in the ocean and exposes the troubles the underwater world faces thanks to pollution and more.

While this book is advertised for middle graders, I see this one for slightly younger readers, ages 6 to 9.

The traditional storytelling of Indigenous lore flows beautifully through these pages. Nature, spirits and life are interlinked in a wondrous way, which opens up a different view to the world around us and the balance between man and nature. In this book, the importance of the ocean and life in it take center stage as the impact modern life has had is discussed. The authors manage to bring all of this across in a way young readers/listeners will be able to understand and open up the door to discussions surrounding water pollution and such.

Bright illustrations accompany the text, allowing listeners to sink into the described scenes visually and gain a better understanding of what is being described. This is a great book for groups to open up environmental topics, especially those relating to seas and oceans. The text is rather heavy four younger listeners, but on the other hand, a bit light and short for older ones. So, I'm placing this one somewhere in the middle and see it as a good read-aloud.

The relationship between Shiny and 'his sister' is one readers will be able to connect with...and it introduces them to the thoughts of this type of storytelling and beliefs as well. Of course, this one is very message driven, and that's what makes it great for classrooms and homeschoolers as well.
I received an ARC and enjoyed the tale.… (more)

Tani is a young girl who who lives near the shores of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest. Tani lived with her grandmother who spent her time teaching her the legends and ways of her people. She was preparing Tani for the day when she would no longer be there with Tani. She taught her of the Stick Indian. He was scary enough to keep children following the rules yet was a protector.

Tani learns about protecting the world she lives in from her grandmother. Her grandmother tells her that they will be coming to cut down more trees and that one day Tani will need to be the voice to stand up to them. She also tells her that Tani will need to go on a quest to find the heart of the world. She will be helped by many in the forest. Her grandmother dies and Tani goes to live with her uncle’s family. Soon she hears a voice telling her she must leave for her journey. She is helped along the way by many animals. They in turn teacher her much. How will Tani find the heart of the world? Where is it? I would recommend you read this book to find out. The great thing about this book is that I got it as I was doing my unit on Fables, and Folklore. My students compared it to “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss and to “The Talking Earth” by Jean Craighead George. The sory is not only wonderfully told, buthte pictures are absolutely beautiful. I recommend this story for all families.… (more)