Métis Like Me

by Tasha Hilderman, Risa Hugo (Illustrator)

Overview

A CBC Bestseller!

Whether or not you're Métis, there's so much to experience and learn about this amazing Indigenous culture — take a picture book journey into Métis crafts, music and cooking with friends who love to share.

Are you Métis like me? A group of children of Métis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage — enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music and songs. Each child shares a different way they enjoy honoring their backgrounds and weaving parts of the rich tapestry that makes up Métis culture. One child, though, has grown up disconnected from their history, and can't join in with the others in the same way. But they soon see it's never too late to learn, celebrate or become a part of a community in which Métis and non-Métis alike can discover the richness of an often-overlooked culture.

This rhythmic, jubilant book will encourage young readers of all backgrounds to celebrate their own heritage and learn more about Métis history, and contains back matter including an author's note, recipe and dictionary to further inspire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774881132
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	04/02/2024
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

TASHA HILDERMAN graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Saskatchewan. A member of SCBWI and co-owner of a home retail store and garden café in Lloydminster, Tasha has been a panelist and featured speaker at numerous business-industry events, including the 2019 Facebook Communities Summit at Facebook's Menlo, California headquarters. She is of Métis descent through her mother's side and a registered member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and lives with her husband and three children in Alberta, Canada.

RISA HUGO has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Her authorial debut, Shadow, was published in 2023 from Simply Read, and she has previously illustrated Rhiannon Wallace's Leopold's Leotard and Jaclyn Desforges' Why Are You So Quiet? She spent most of her childhood living in Japan but currently lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her husband and sons.

Editorial Reviews

A CBC Books Bestseller

"[T]his heartwarming story invites readers to embrace their own roots . . . A joyful story that encourages empathy and affirms identity." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

"This joyful, inclusive picture book involves everyone in an introduction to Métis culture. . . . Despite the specificity implied in the title, this is a book for everyone." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

"From Metis to those with different cultures, children will be fascinated with the pictures and also want to try some delicious food highlighted in this book. . . . [Métis Like Me] is not only a great book but a beautiful keepsake of history, culture and an incredible future." —The Baby Spot

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2024

PreS-Gr 2—This joyful, inclusive picture book involves everyone in an introduction to Métis culture. In one spread after another, drawn in an accessible watercolor style, friendly Métis children share various aspects of their culture, such as traditional food, music, art, dance, and poetry. The first child shares a Métis tradition they participate in, then the next tells whether their family participates in that tradition before sharing another aspect of the culture. This continuity establishes the community as diverse yet strongly connected. Most sentences are simple, and there are never more than three per page, which keeps the book moving and the information engaging. The illustrations are fairly simple, but they creatively incorporate traditional Métis art forms, such as beading. An author's note provides additional information. VERDICT Despite the specificity implied in the title, this is a book for everyone. A first purchase for libraries looking to expand Indigenous representation in collections.—Maria Bohan

School Library Journal

★ 2024-04-20
Hilderman (Métis Nation of Alberta) proudly pays tribute to her heritage in this heartwarming story that invites readers to embrace their own roots.

The book starts with a simple question: “Are you Métis like me?” An accompanying illustration depicts children of diverse skin tones romping through a meadow. The young people answer the question in their own ways, each revealing a Métis custom they practice at home with their extended families. Each scene seamlessly transitions to the next. On one spread, a child sews beads onto moccasins with Noohkom (Michif for Grandma), while on the following spread, another child chimes in, “I have moccasins, too!” We see families handing down other traditions, from picking saskatoon berries to making bannock to fishing. The author also introduces a Métis child who’s unfamiliar with these customs but who’s welcomed into the fold: “It is never too late. You can learn now!” Hilderman emphasizes the importance of sharing intergenerational knowledge with family and friends. Hugo’s artwork is vibrant and intricate, the use of colored pencil lending the visuals a sense of intimacy. Beaded designs and floral motifs appear throughout, making it clear that the characters are immersed in nature. An author’s note explains that Métis, French for mixed, refers to those descended from First Nation women and European fur traders.

A joyful story that encourages empathy and affirms identity. (recipe for bannock/gaalet, English–Michif glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews