A lush, gorgeously illustrated picture book set “on an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea” celebrates a Tlingit grandmother teaching her granddaughter “how to live on the land.” In and near the water, the pair gather herring eggs, seaweed, and salmon. And in the forest, there is a bounty of berries. Set off by cursive font, a rhythmic list of berries is interspersed with the main narrative. “Salmonberry, cloudberry, blueberry, nagoonberry. Huckleberry, soapberry, strawberry, crowberry.” As the land sings to them and sustains them, grandmother and granddaughter sing their gratitude to the land and forest and ocean. As the land cares for them, they, in turn, care for it. They hear the voices of their ancestors and answer in song and their Native language. And, on a page with artwork showing environmental protest art and music, the girl and her grandmother “sing for the future, / so that all will hear / and all will know / this beautiful berry song.” Back home at the end of the day, the grandmother and granddaughter join their family to create a colorful spread of pastries, desserts, and jams from the berries they have gathered. Soft, dreamy watercolor and mixed-media illustrations are a feast for the eyes in a story of familial love and the passing on of Indigenous knowledge. (Ages 3-7)

A Caldecott Honor Book!



An Indie Bestseller!



Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders.



On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries.

Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry.

Huckleberry, Snowberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.

Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all. Michaela Goade's luminous rendering of water and forest, berries and jams glows with her love of the land and offers an invitation to readers to deepen their own relationship with the earth.