Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock

A little girl loses her delivery of bannock bread, but animal helpers restore the ingredients in this picture book that includes Cree vocabulary. Kôhkum asks her granddaughter Awâsis to deliver a basket of freshly baked bannock to a relative. But, running and skipping along the way, Awâsis drops it over a bridge, losing it in the river. A series of animals stop her tears by providing ingredients for a new batch. For example, Sîsîp (duck) provides margarine: "I don't have any bannock, but I do have some tohtosapopimehkan, and I'm pretty sure that's in bannock!" Rabbit, frog, and owl also come to the rescue. Back at Kôhkum's house, Maskwa (bear)--who ate the bannock that fell in the river and has been following along--knocks on the door, offering the final ingredient. Grandmother and granddaughter make a new batch, sharing it with Awâsis' animal friends. A recipe and Cree word list follow. In his debut book, Hunt tells a story that already feels like a childhood classic. Young children will enjoy the tale's effective repetition of incident and language (counterpointed with the unfamiliar vocabulary and some variation, as when Awâsis whispers or shouts), its cooperative animals, and the happy ending. Strong's charmingly faux naif illustrations, dominated by soft colors of blue, purple, brown, and green, are lovely and expressive; the bear that can be spotted in many panels is a nice touch.A delightful story with appealing illustrations that centers on Native American culture.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)

April 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Awâsis, a Cree child, stumbles on a baking adventure in this lighthearted picture book celebration of family recipes, new friends, and, of course, bannock. On her way to visit a relative, Awâsis is devastated when she accidentally drops Kôhkum's world-famous bannock off a bridge. Fortunately, Sîsîp, Wâpos, Ayîkis, and Ôhô, a menagerie of generous woodland creatures, are happy to share almost all the ingredients needed to bake a new batch. Returning home, Awâsis finds Kôhkum and yet another new friend, Maskwa, ready with the one final ingredient they need to bake a new batch of world-famous bannock to share with everyone. The narrative follows a classic, predictable structure as Awâsis moves through the forest landscape, collaborating with each creature in turn. Cree vocabulary is seamlessly integrated into the story and easily decoded through context. Hunt's text injects personality into each animal character, and variations in font size encourage those reading aloud to alter their volume for dramatic effect. Strong's digital collage illustrations have the feel of watercolor paintings and create a safe, welcoming woodland environment. Awâsis, with her round face, ponytail, prominent ears, and bright blue overalls, is a captivating young protagonist. Back matter includes a recipe for bannock and a Cree pronunciation guide. VERDICT Easily accessible to those new to Cree, this is a joyful tribute to the language and an engaging read-aloud about community and cooperation that will resonate with a wide range of preschool audiences.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Little girl Awbsis loses her Kthkum's (grandmother) famous bannock on the way to her relatives' house. With the help of her friends in the forest, Awbsis is able to collect all the ingredients she needs to make a new one. Soft, naive illustrations make it easy for readers to understand the Cree words used in the story; a glossary/pronunciation guide is appended, along with a recipe.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Aw�sis, a Cree child, stumbles on a baking adventure in this lighthearted picture book celebration of family recipes, new friends, and, of course, bannock. On her way to visit a relative, Aw�sis is devastated when she accidentally drops K�hkum's world-famous bannock off a bridge. Fortunately, S�s�p, W�pos, Ay�kis, and �h�, a menagerie of generous woodland creatures, are happy to share almost all the ingredients needed to bake a new batch. Returning home, Aw�sis finds K�hkum and yet another new friend, Maskwa, ready with the one final ingredient they need to bake a new batch of world-famous bannock to share with everyone. The narrative follows a classic, predictable structure as Aw�sis moves through the forest landscape, collaborating with each creature in turn. Cree vocabulary is seamlessly integrated into the story and easily decoded through context. Hunt's text injects personality into each animal character, and variations in font size encourage those reading aloud to alter their volume for dramatic effect. Strong's digital collage illustrations have the feel of watercolor paintings and create a safe, welcoming woodland environment. Aw�sis, with her round face, ponytail, prominent ears, and bright blue overalls, is a captivating young protagonist. Back matter includes a recipe for bannock and a Cree pronunciation guide. VERDICT Easily accessible to those new to Cree, this is a joyful tribute to the language and an engaging read-aloud about community and cooperation that will resonate with a wide range of preschool audiences.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
A little girl loses her delivery of bannock bread, but animal helpers restore the ingredients in this picture book that includes Cree vocabulary. K�hkum asks her granddaughter Aw�sis to deliver a basket of freshly baked bannock to a relative. But, running and skipping along the way, Aw�sis drops it over a bridge, losing it in the river. A series of animals stop her tears by providing ingredients for a new batch. For example, S�s�p (duck) provides margarine: "I don't have any bannock, but I do have some tohtosapopimehkan, and I'm pretty sure that's in bannock!" Rabbit, frog, and owl also come to the rescue. Back at K�hkum's house, Maskwa (bear)--who ate the bannock that fell in the river and has been following along--knocks on the door, offering the final ingredient. Grandmother and granddaughter make a new batch, sharing it with Aw�sis' animal friends. A recipe and Cree word list follow. In his debut book, Hunt tells a story that already feels like a childhood classic. Young children will enjoy the tale's effective repetition of incident and language (counterpointed with the unfamiliar vocabulary and some variation, as when Aw�sis whispers or shouts), its cooperative animals, and the happy ending. Strong's charmingly faux naif illustrations, dominated by soft colors of blue, purple, brown, and green, are lovely and expressive; the bear that can be spotted in many panels is a nice touch.A delightful story with appealing illustrations that centers on Native American culture.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)