“This cheerful story of a spring-day outing ultimately balances instruction and entertainment. Flett’s lovely collages add beauty and a fresh, contemporary tone, while the text captures the essence of the young learning from the old. Timeless values, such as gratitude for the earth, are seamlessly integrated.” — Booklist

“Campbell’s (Interior Salish/Metis) quiet story weaves botanical facts with respect for the natural world, naming the plants in the Nle’kepmxcin language. Flett’s (Cree/Metis) colorful, calming illustrations blend very well with the tone of the text, often gracefully incorporating the pulled-out Nle?kepmxcin in display type. The flowers pop against the dark green grass, the relative smallness of the human figures in the landscape emphasizing their relationship with nature. With modern children learning an elder’s wisdom, this makes for a lovely day out. (Picture book. 4-8)” — Kirkus Reviews

“This radiant picture book, from Nicola I. Campbell and Julie Flett, is a story of Indigenous language reclamation. There’s also an emphasis on how the characters connect to the healing power of the earth, the wisdom of their elders, and pride in their heritage to guide them… Campbell captures the matter-of-fact cadence that wise Indigenous elders emanate with charm and subtle authenticity as Yayah calls the plants by their Nle’kepmxcin names, passing on a nearly lost language to a new generation… Flett adds to the rich themes of resilience and resurgence with her enchanting, folk-like paintings. Together, Campbell and Flett transport readers on a bilingual learning journey with the intergenerational characters as they savor the pronunciation of each syllable of Nle’kepmxcin words slowly, together. The book offers a phonetic breakdown and each Nle’kepmxcin word is elegantly illustrated by Flett… The distinct and unbreakable resiliency of Indigenous people is affirmed in this loving portrait of generational courage and fortitude.” — Quill & Quire

“Like many Indigenous languages, Nle’kepmxcin is considered critically endangered. As such, First Nations author Nicola Campbell pulls double duty with this book, which functions as both story and bilingual dictionary. A group of children join their Yayah (an anglicization of the word yeye, or grandmother) to forage for mushrooms in British Columbia’s Nicola Valley. Along the way, Yayah teaches them how to translate key vocabulary words into their native language. Depending on how you look at it, the dialogue in the story is either inorganic or hyperrealistic, as a lot of time is spent deconstructing the pronunciation of each new word (an act that will be all too familiar to anyone who has ever tried to learn a second language). By using a story about family and nature as a conduit to share Nle’kepmxcin, Campbell nimbly proves how the way we speak is intertwined with the rest of one’s life, and why it is essential to preserve Indigenous languages with a new generation.” — The Globe and Mail