The Song that Called Them Home (2023) by David A. Robertson, llustrated by Maya McKibbin

One beautiful summer day, Lauren and James head with their moshom on a trip to the lake. Their moshom falls asleep near a tree when they arrive at the lake. Lauren and James quickly head out in their canoe to fish. Time passes and they realize how far out they’ve drifted when their canoe suddenly starts to shake. James falls off and is taken underwater by the sneaky human-like Memekwesewak. Lauren dives in to rescue James, but upon hearing the Memekwesewak’s song, they fall into a joyful trance-like dance. Only the distant song from their grandpa’s drum breaks them from their dance and calls them back home. This indigenous legend of the Memekwesewak totally captivated my kids! 

Heart: In David A. Robertson’s other picture book, “On the Trapline” (which I also recommend!), David shares a personal note in the backmatter. He says, “Reconciliation is more than just healing from trauma. It’s connecting, or reconnecting, with people, culture, language, community.” Part of what I love about social studies is learning about other cultures and places. Reading books brings me closer to far-away communities. My closest friends know I tend to get hooked on reading about certain places/periods. I’ve read many books about Afghanistan, Rwanda, the Holocaust, to name a few. Recently, I’ve been reading adult books (and kids books!) written by indigenous voices - from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass” to Diane Wilson’s “The Seed Keeper.” If we, as a country, are truly to reconcile the trauma that was done to black and indigenous people, then the first step is to listen to their stories and learn. Reading and learning. Open-heartedness and open-mindedness. These are things that will strengthen and bond communities. 

Head: This summer, Governor Pritzker signed a law requiring Illinois public schools to teach Native American history. University of Illinois professor, Rosalyn LaPier calls this legislation, “timely and necessary” and I couldn’t agree more. This law appears to focus specifically on Illinois indigenous communities. David Robertson is a Canadian author, but I would love to do a compare/contrast of the stories of varying indigenous communities. My kids love Netflix’s new indigenous-created, “Spirit Rangers.” They noticed there is a common “trickster” theme in both “The Song That Called Them Home” and “Spirit Rangers.” It is fun to see your kids make these connections!