Book cover of I Sang You Down from the Stars

I Sang You Down from the Stars

ISBN

9780316493161

Publisher & Publication Year

Little Brown, 2021

Publisher's Book Page

Author

Tasha Spillett-Sumner (Cree/Trinidadian)

Author's Website 

Illustrator

Michaela Goade (Tlingit/Haida)

Synopsis

Summary

As she waits for the arrival of her new baby, a mother-to-be gathers gifts to create a sacred bundle. A white feather, cedar and sage, a stone from the river… Each addition to the bundle will offer the new baby strength and connection to tradition, family, and community. As they grow together, mother and baby will each have gifts to offer each other.

Notable Achievements

New York Times bestseller; Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book; Manitoba Writing and Publishing Awards - McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards: Younger Category (post-1996 winners); Rise: A Feminist Book Project - Beginning Readers Fiction (2022)

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews: "Anticipation, pregnancy, and the birth of a baby are celebrated in this story… Gorgeous, shimmering, heartfelt."

School Library Journal: "The care and love felt through the pages of the illustrations are dreamlike and ethereal... Recommended for all libraries especially those with baby programs and other early literacy initiatives."

Booklist: "In lyrical text, a young mother addresses her unborn child, sharing the traditional beliefs of her Inniniwak heritage... This story will be appreciated wherever newborns are celebrated."

Educator Guide

Link to Guide

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