A beautiful, transcendent story of a mother-daughter connection that persists through tragedy and across time. Kateri is a young Cree girl, growing up in the care of her grandmother. We see her reaching important milestones: her first day of school, first dance, first date, wedding, first child. Her mother is absent, but not gone, watching her child growing up without her. Told in alternating voices of child and mother, Missing Nimâmâ is a story of love, loss, and acceptance, showing the human side of a national tragedy. Dreamlike illustrations by François Thisdale enrich Kateri’s emotional journey. An afterword by the author provides a simple, age-appropriate context for young readers. Includes Cree words and glossary. About the Author and the Illustrator: MELANIE FLORENCE is a Canadian author of Cree and Scottish heritage. Her first book,Jordin Tootoo: The Highs and Lows of the First Inuit to Play in the NHL was chosen as an Honor Book by the American Indian Library Association. Melanie’s fiction writing includes the teen novel One Night and the picture book Missing Nimâmâ, winner of the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. She is also the author of Righting Canada’s Wrongs: Residential Schools. Melanie lives in Toronto. FRANÇOIS THISDALE's work blends traditional drawing and painting with digital imagery. He is the illustrator of The Stamp Collector, which is on IBBY Honor List, That Squeak, an honour book for the IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik- Cleaver Picture Book Award, and Missing Nimâmâ, winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Book Award. François lives in Montreal, Quebec. |