Learning to Carve Argillite
Robert Davidson author Sara Florence Davidson author Janine Gibbons illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Portage & Main Press
Published:11th Nov '21
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
While practicing to become a skillful carver, a Haida boy learns important life lessons from his Elders.
With the help of his father and grandfather, a boy on Haida Gwaii practices to become a skillful carver. As he carefully works on a new piece, he remembers a trip to Slatechuck Mountain to gather the argillite, as well as his father’s words about the importance of looking back to help us find our way.
Based on Haida artist Robert Davidson's own childhood experiences, this beautiful story highlights learning through observation, as well as the role of Elders in sharing knowledge and mentorship.
Learning to carve is a lifelong journey. With the help of his father and grandfather, a boy on Haida Gwaii practises to become a skillful carver. As he carefully works on a new piece, he remembers a trip to Slatechuck Mountain to gather the argillite, as well as his father’s words about the importance of looking back to help us find our way.
Written by the creators of Potlatch as Pedagogy, this book brings the Sk'ad'a Principles to life through the art of Janine Gibbons.
A quiet, beautiful meditation on how traditions are kept alive by passing them down from one generation to the next, by remembering the ways things were so we can more clearly see the way things can be. Shaped by youth, under the watchful guidance of Elders, like etchings in argillite.
-- David A. RobertsonDavidson and Davidson's story is a snapshot of a memory that cohesively and effectively expresses a childhood embedded in love, in family, in tradition, and in art. The artwork is beautiful and thoughtful, often requiring second and third looks to pick up hidden details as the colours and flow of the images draw the eye over the pages. Highly recommended.
* CM Association *The concept of intergenerational learning is woven into the books in both obvious and subtle ways.
* Quill & Quire *Among OLA's First Nations Communities READ Longlist, Children's Category
* Ontario Library Association (OLA) *Among CCBC's Best Books for Kids and Teens
* Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) *Among IBBY Canada's 2020-2022 From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Book Collection * IBBY Cana
- Long-listed for First Nations Communities READ 2022 (Canada)
ISBN: 9781553799849
Dimensions: 229mm x 206mm x 8mm
Weight: 323g
40 pages