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Swift Fox All Along

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

What does it mean to be Mi'kmaq? And if Swift Fox can't find the answer, will she ever feel like part of her family?

When Swift Fox's father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles, and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells her that today is the day that she'll learn how to be Mi'kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi'kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn't understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it's time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn't belong.

Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she's not the only one who's unsure—and she may even be the one to teach him something about what being Mi'kmaq means. Based on the author's own experience, with striking illustrations by Maya McKibbin, Swift Fox All Along is a poignant story about identity and belonging that is at once personal and universally resonant.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 26, 2020
      When Swift Fox’s father takes her on a journey to meet her Indigenous relatives, he promises that she’ll learn how to be Mi’kmaq and that being Mi’kmaq is already “what’s inside you.” She’s never met her aunties, uncles, and cousins, and she’s scared that she won’t belong. As the day passes, the butterflies in her stomach grow larger and her fears are realized (“I can’t believe she didn’t know how to smudge,” a cousin says). McKibbin (who is Ojibwe and Yoeme) offers saturated illustrations that clearly convey the main character’s trepidation through facial expressions. Spotting the animals on every page, especially Swift Fox’s butterflies, adds another layer to the reader’s experience. Debut author Thomas (registered with Lennox Island First Nation) leaves much unexplained, including why Swift Fox’s father hasn’t previously introduced her to his family. Dedicating her book to “every Indigenous kid and adult who had to seek out where they came from” and revealing the book’s provenance in an author’s note, she shows the real anxiety of not belonging, and many children will find a welcome reflection of real feelings in Swift Fox’s worries. Ages 4–7.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
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Languages

  • English

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