“A seed is a story you can hold in your hand.” A young narrator preparing to sow wild rice (mnoomin) shares observations about the ecosystem in which wild rice plays a part, and of the role and rituals of wild rice in the child’s Ojibwe culture, in a spare yet lyrical bilingual (Ojibwe/English) picture book. Mayfly and Pike, Eagle and Muskrat, Moose and Heron and Bat are all part of the marshy world in which wild rice grows. When the rice is “heavy with new life” it is time to harvest. “We offer semaa to the waters, asking for safe passage. We offer tobacco to the fields, asking mnoomin to fill our canoe.” Harvesting means bending stalks and knocking seeds loose into the canoe; it means leaving those that don’t easily let go. Some of the harvest is set aside for sowing, the rest is roasted to dry before the husks are loosened beneath dancing feet, and the seeds are winnowed and then cooked. “We say miigwech to mnoomin for allowing us this feast.” Warmly hued, beautifully composed illustrations glow with the beauty of the natural world and warmth of family and tradition. A translator’s note discusses variations in the Objibwe/Nishnaabemwin language among different communities and the cultural grounding for her translation. (Ages 4-8)

In this bilingual book, an Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life mnoomin sustains.

Written in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible--Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle and Moose, all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats...until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again.

We follow the child and family through a harvest day as they make offerings of tobacco, then gently knock ripe seeds into their canoe. On shore, they prepare the seeds, cook up a feast, and gratefully plant some seeds they'd set aside.

This beautifully written and illustrated story reveals the cultural and ecological importance of mnoomin. As the author's note explains, many Anishinaabeg agree that "wild rice" is an inaccurate term for this plant relation, since part of the harvest is sown every year to help sustain human and non-human beings. Includes a translator's note.

Key Text Features

explanation

illustrations

informational note

translations

translator's note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.