REVIEWS
As educators, we are challenged to include les- sons and resources that will advance the work of reconciliation between Canada and Indig- enous people. This novel provides many op- portunities to engage our students in discus- sion about Canada’s history with Indigenous people and to reflect on our own roles. The story begins with sixth-graders Danny
and Zach being partnered to do a social stud- ies project about the origins of their families. Both boys struggle with being partnered with the other. Danny recalls being bullied by Zach in Grade 3 and Zach is equally hesitant; since his Cree friends moved to the city he feels iso- lated and alone. Zach becomes furious when their teacher
MISTASINÎY: BUFFALO RUBBING STONE Mary Harelkin Bishop DriverWorks Ink, 2016 181 pages, $14.95 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by JoAnne Formanek Gustafson
frames the project on the assumption that all students’ families are “settlers.” Doesn’t Mr. Gibson realize that Zach is First Nations? Dan- ny quickly realizes the reason for Zach’s anger and helps his teacher understand the problem, thus gaining Zach’s trust. The climax of the story comes when Dan-
ny discovers that a huge stone on his family’s farm is the missing mistasinîy (buffalo rubbing stone) that Zach’s family had lost. Danny enlists his family’s help to return the stone, forging a respectful relationship between the families.
FOLLOW THAT BEE! A FIRST BOOK OF BEES IN THE CITY Scot Ritchie Kids Can Press, 2019 32 pages, $16.99 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by Sabeen Abbas
Follow That Bee! is an engaging book that will entertain young readers and inform them about honeybees. Five young friends visit Mr. Cardinal, a local beekeeper. During their visit, they learn many things about honeybees. Text features, like bolded print, highlight factual information, alongside the fictional storyline. The large, almost full-page illustrations, invite the reader to feel they are part of the story and learning alongside the characters. Children will enjoy looking at the vibrant details on each page. The book also includes an index of “Words to Know” that is useful for learning new vocabulary related to bees. The book explores the crucial role bees
play in nature, for example as pollinators, and some of the challenges bees face as growing cities replace natural habitats. The book offers young readers positive ways to support bees such as planting native flowers and support- ing local markets. This book would make a great addition to
a K-2 classroom or school library. The book connects to one of the fundamental concepts, Sustainability and Stewardship, in the Science curriculum. This book can be used in primary
46 ETFO VOICE | SPRING 2021
classrooms to serve as a starting point for dis- cussions on the role that honeybees play in nature and the interactions between humans and nature. This book can be one resource to support meeting the overall expectation of “assessing the role of humans in maintaining a healthy environment” in the Grade 1 unit, Needs and Characteristics of Living Things. An overall expectation in Grade 2 in the “Growth and Changes in Animals” unit is for students to “assess ways in which animals have an impact on society and the environment, and ways in which humans have an impact upon animals and the places where they live.” Follow-up ac- tivities suggested in the book include making a bee bath and planting a pollinator garden. Honeybees star in this story and learning
about their behaviours will hopefully spark young readers’ curiosity and passion for the environment and the ways in which we are all interconnected.
Sabeen Abbas is a member of the Peel Occasional Teacher Local.
Suitable for junior or intermediate class-
rooms, Mistasinîy: Buffalo Rubbing Stone in- troduces the idea that settler history, which has been the focus of Canadian history edu- cation, neglects the perspectives of Indigenous peoples. The characters in the book model empathy and compassion, creating opportuni- ties for our students to imagine how they can respond to current issues Indigenous people face. Used as a novel study or read-aloud the book will allow your students to explore issues concerning colonization and the effects of gov- ernment policies on Indigenous people. Cur- riculum connections include Grade 6 Social Studies (perspectives of First Nations people) and Grade 8 History (impacts of colonization on First Nations people and new immigrants), as well as reading and literacy connections. Mistasinîy: Buffalo Rubbing Stone presents the issues in terms that students can easily under- stand and relate to.
JoAnne Formanek Gustafson is a member of the Rainy River Occasional Teacher Local.
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