The Tree by the Woodpile And other Dene Spirit of Nature Tales

The Tree by the Woodpile is the first book in the Spirit of Nature series, and comprises three stories. The first and longest story, “The Tree by the Woodpile,” is about a young Dene boy who is told by his grandmother about the importance of even a single tree. Expanding upon this, the grandmother explains about Newet’sine (the Creator) to underscore the importance of cherishing the land and animals. The other two stories, “The Wolf and the Mountain” and “The Wind and the Wildflowers,” similarly focus on the relationship between humans, land, and animals. Throughout the title story, Dene phrases are included when the grandmother speaks. This story has full-colour illustrations, while the others have limited black-and-white illustrations. The text lends itself to discussions of environmentalism, community, life cycles, seasons, and Dene culture and language.

Award:
Nominated, 2019 Northwords Book Award

Supplementary Resources: Author tour