Fierce Aunties!
Written by Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara)
Illustrated by Steph Littlebird (member of Oregon’s Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes)
Published in 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Reviewer: Debbie Reese
Review Status: Highly Recommended
****
As I look at the dust jacket cover of Fierce Aunties! I recognize the vibrant joy of Native women. Their joy infuses Native communities, on or off reservations. That joy is in the lines that radiate from the people Goodluck and Littlebird are introducing to readers, and it is in their faces, too. Did you notice their clothing and hats? I love that -- visually -- the author and illustrator are saying LOOK! Native people are in the present day!
When I slip the dust jacket off and look at the book's cover, I see a girl and a woman -- perhaps her mother -- in traditional regalia. Many of us have clothing we wear for our ceremonies and celebrations. The two are shown at a part of a dance where their arms are raised and the fringes on their shawls are caught by the energy of their motions. It is better if I show you:
Those two images tell readers we're joyful people of the present day who are doing the sorts of things that our ancestors did, for generations. For a Native kid who rarely sees images like these in their school books, this is powerful stuff!
Turning to the first page of the story, we see a modern day kitchen. On the left side of the page is a mother and father and baby, standing at the stove as the father stirs something he's cooking. On the right is a little girl looking over at them, hands grasping her head to signify her frustration. The words on that page tell us her parents are busy but that there are "somebodies" she can count on... of course, it is fierce aunties.
Some of her Fierce Aunties are there, in her community. She does things with them. The one in the ball cap is shown helping her ride a bike. The others we met on the cover are Fierce Aunties who garden, attend and speak at protests, tell stories, make frybread, and coach sports teams. I gotta say I especially like the image of the pregnant auntie:
On one page, we read that the arms of Fierce Aunties "... are like the strong branches of a family tree, holding you up. They stand tall with feistiness and flair so you stretch up to meet them." With her art, Littlebird shows us three women. One is Deb Haaland. She's the first Native person to serve on the cabinet for a US President (she was the Secretary of the Department of the Interior during President Biden's administration). Haaland is from Laguna Pueblo. I'm from Nambé Pueblo. Obviously, I'm psyched to see that page (it is also what we see on the back cover):
If you're a parent or grandparent--or Auntie!--of a Native child, get this book for them! I'm delighted it is in our home. If you're a teacher or librarian, get it for all the children you work with. Everyone should see Native women and children in the books they read. This one is a must-have.
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