MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
Former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, embraces listeners with her warm earthy voice. Repetition of the titular word, "remember," drives this celebration of connections: to family, to the earth, to the elements, to the universe. The poet's "r"s do not roll, but they linger in repeated instances of the words "remember" and "earth," exhorting listeners to hold in their memories their parents, the animals, the wind, and more. Harjo's narration is unhurried and assured. Still, listeners enjoying it alongside the stunning paintings of Michaela Goade, who is Tlingit and Haida, may want to return to them in silence to absorb their details. An author's note discussing her relationship to poetry follows; the illustrator's note is not included in the audiobook, though her acknowledgments are. Inspiring and, yes, memorable. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 01/23/2023
In an expansive poem turned picture book written by former U.S. poet laureate Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Goade, a member of the Tlingit Nation, the creators explore people’s links to one another and to nature. Imperative lines bid readers to remember their bond with the cosmos (“the sky that you were born under”), their birth and parents (“how your mother/ struggled to give you form and breath”), the earth (“whose skin you are”), and its fauna and flora (“alive poems”). Created in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, Goade’s lushly hued, multilayered images combine intricate patterns, form-line designs, and realistic horizons in their portrayals of humans and the natural world interacting. On one rust-hued spread, a child touches the earth on the verso, an act that emanates visually into the ground; on the recto, a handprint’s image is delicately layered with a paw print, fungi and mycelium, shells and fish skeletons, birds in flight, and much, much more. Evoking the cyclical feeling of a slow breath in and out, it’s a smartly constructed, reflective picture book based in connection and noticing: “Remember all is in motion,/ is growing, is you.” Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jin Auh, Wylie Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
★ "A contemplative, visually dazzling masterpiece that will resonate even more deeply each time it is read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “A beauty to behold…. A rich and reverential tribute to life, family, and poetry.” —Booklist, starred review
★ "Evoking the cyclical feeling of a slow breath in and out, it’s a smartly constructed, reflective picture book based in connection and noticing." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “Generation-spanning Native creators deliver a lustrous celebration of generational memory.” —The Horn Book, starred review
★ "Sparse words and the rhythmic use of anaphora with “Remember’’ complement the overflowing pages that burst with intricate details, and those busy pages are perfectly balanced with objects and negative space."
—The Bulletin, starred review
★ "A significant work of children’s literature, this paean to nature and Indigenous culture belongs in every school and public library collection for years to come." —School Library Journal
“I am in awe of this breathtakingly beautiful picture book…. It is incomparably stunning.” —Book Riot
School Library Journal
★ 04/01/2023
PreS-Gr 3—As the modern world propels forward at a breakneck pace, the complexities of the universe can be easily forgotten. Every living creature is beholden to the cycles of nature—day and night, birth and death, growth and decay. Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation and the U.S. Poet Laureate, urges young readers to remember that they are of the earth, both indebted to and intertwined with the natural world. In an economy of perfectly chosen words, Harjo conveys the ancient Indigenous reverence for nature and the passage of time. Caldecott winner and Tlingit tribe member Goade interprets the text in otherworldly watercolor illustrations that are nothing short of a masterclass in visual storytelling. Each scene incorporates icons of Northwest Coast art rendered with beautifully graduated color. Goade and Harjo's creative synergy produces an important cultural artifact and testimonial to their Native heritage. VERDICT A significant work of children's literature, this paean to nature and Indigenous culture belongs in every school and public library collection for years to come.—Sarah Simpson
MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
Former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, embraces listeners with her warm earthy voice. Repetition of the titular word, "remember," drives this celebration of connections: to family, to the earth, to the elements, to the universe. The poet's "r"s do not roll, but they linger in repeated instances of the words "remember" and "earth," exhorting listeners to hold in their memories their parents, the animals, the wind, and more. Harjo's narration is unhurried and assured. Still, listeners enjoying it alongside the stunning paintings of Michaela Goade, who is Tlingit and Haida, may want to return to them in silence to absorb their details. An author's note discussing her relationship to poetry follows; the illustrator's note is not included in the audiobook, though her acknowledgments are. Inspiring and, yes, memorable. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-11-29
A picture-book adaptation of a work by former U.S. Poet Laureate Harjo, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Goade.
As Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, entreats readers to look back on their ancestors and the stories that have been passed from generation to generation, Goade draws from her Tlingit culture, depicting first the trickster Raven, who brought light to the world (“Remember the sun’s birth at dawn”), then a young Tlingit girl. The sonorous text prompts the child to remember her birth, the parents who gave her life, “the earth whose skin you are,” “the plants, trees, / animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.” Infused with rich hues and energy, Goade’s lavish gouache, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations dance alongside Harjo’s poetry like a musical score. “Remember all is in motion, / is growing, is you.” Dreamlike images of soaring birds, swirling sea creatures, and swift-moving animals travel through a magical world of memories. Children will take comfort in the words of strength about nature and the universe; adults should use this book to spark dialogue about the natural world and family stories: “Remember the wind. / Remember her voice. / She knows the origin of this universe.”(This book was reviewed digitally.)
A contemplative, visually dazzling masterpiece that will resonate even more deeply each time it is read. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)
