FALL SPOTLIGHT: BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE

Matt Barnes

Buffy Sainte-Marie has had a long, trailblazing career as a musician, performer, and activist. The Indigenous Canadian American artist won an Oscar for her song “Up Where We Belong,” from An Officer and a Gentleman and received a string of other awards; TV viewers of a certain age will remember her from a stint on Sesame Street. In recent years she added author to her varied resume, publishing books for children. Her latest is Still This Love Goes On (Greystone Kids, Sept. 27), illustrated by Julie Flett. Sainte-Marie answered a few questions by email.

After a long and varied career in music and activism, what inspired you to start creating books for children? I had been on Sesame Street from 1975 to 1981, and when it was time for my son, Cody, to go to school, I began writing a full-length children’s book, Tâpwê and the Magic Hat, which I held back and only released this past June, also from Greystone Kids [with illustrations by the author and Michelle Alynn Clement]. I wrote the story out of love for Cree culture and the fun we have just being kids on a reserve. I wanted other kids beyond the reserve to feel that special “Cree something.” And Greystone has made my dream come true in releasing a separate edition of the book in the Cree language! (It was translated by Cree linguist Solomon Ratt of First Nations University, Regina, Saskatchewan.)

Hey Little Rockabye actually started out as a song about pet adoption. Previously, I had only sung it to my animals, and I wanted to turn it into a book. For me, the right three-minute song can tell a story that’s as satisfying as a novel but more succinct, simple, and easy for everyone else to learn. The pictures by Ben Hodson illustrate the words perfectly. And I’m very grateful to Greystone Kids and Humane Canada, who used the book and song in their campaign and helped lots of pets find their forever homes. The illustrations for the new book are by Julie Flett, a Cree–Métis artist. Was it important to you to have an Indigenous collaborator on this book? Very important. The sentiments in Still This Love could be about anywhere, but the details are definitely set in an Indigenous reserve community. The jingle dancers, the little tracks in the snow, the geese, the beaver dam, the smell of the sweetgrass all share a certain feeling I wanted to give to readers everywhere, and I knew that Julie Flett was familiar with those settings, those people, those experiences. Her other books are just as gorgeous.

Were you a big reader as a kid? Are there any formative books you remember from your youth or any adults who influenced you as a reader or writer? I’ve always been a biblio-holic, for both print and audiobooks. My mother read to me and loved books, was a proofreader at a newspaper, and we both loved to play with words. I read all the Nancy Drew mysteries and haunted the local library. I’ve always loved making up songs and stories that pop into my head, but the only writing book I’ve ever read is Stephen King’s On Writing—wonderful. My list of favorite books is really long; it’s at my website. Present classic book crush is The Count of Monte Cristo.

What book released in the past few years deserved more attention? Andrés Reséndez’s book The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (2016) is the most impressive book I’ve read in years, with original research about the enslavement of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. A tough but beautifully written, essential read.

Interview by Tom Beer

grown-ups are muted and relegated to the background. Extreme angles in several of the illustrations effectively convey a sense of perpetual motion and heighten the story’s tension, drawing readers in. An especially effective, glitter-strewn spread portrays Frank looming large and seemingly running off the page while Betty looks on, stricken at the ensuing mess. Though it’s a familiar and easily resolved story, Witherspoon’s rollicking text never holds back, replete with amusing phrases such as “sweet cinnamon biscuits,” “bouncing biscuits,” and “busted biscuits.” As Betty says, “Being busy is a great way to be.” Young readers are sure to agree. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

celebrity-authored picture books. (Picture book. 47)

Yamasaki, Katie Norton Young Readers (56 pp.) $21.95 | Sept. 6, 2022 978-1-324-01701-1

A loving profile of Minoru “Yama” Yamasaki, a pioneering Japanese American architect whose buildings became cultural symbols across America.

When Yama was young, there were places he felt seen and those that did not welcome him. In this chronicle, his author/ illustrator granddaughter shares how Yama overcame discrimination to become one of the great 20th-century architects. Lovely, lyrical prose begins Yama’s story as the world makes assumptions about his family—and how despite these degradations, he believes in the truth of his potential. Through the Great Depression and World War II as anti-Japanese sentiment rises, Yama strives to bring light and serenity to the places he creates. The artist’s painted illustrations layer elements of the architect’s stylings into each spread. The complicated renderings are earnest in their effort to convey a complex narrative. Not mentioned by name, the World Trade Center is referenced, offering a fuller view of what happened to some of Yama’s creations. While this transition is a bit abrupt, the author offers a more comprehensive look at Yama’s life and his masterpieces in the backmatter along with illustrations of his most famous buildings. Despite this change in tone, the author successfully captures the longing to fulfill the American dream and Yama’s patience and courage as he pursued that dream in the face of racism. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

(Picturebook biography. 68)

Yoon, Salina Bloomsbury (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sept. 6, 2022 978-1-68119-344-1

When Penguin discovers a lost elephant, he vows to help her get home. Marking the 10th anniversary of Yoon’s Penguin and Pinecone (2012), this tale sees the popular character return for another story of friendship. After freeing Penelope the elephant from the mud, Penguin tries to help her find her herd. They eventually swim their way across a body of water, following tracks on the other side back to Penelope’s family. The message—about the importance of trust in friendship and the value of staying connected despite distance—rings true. Adults sharing the story with children will feel a pang at Penguin’s words to Penelope, “I’ll never forget you either, because you’re unforgettable.” Penguin’s scarf, ever the symbol of the gift of friendship, becomes Penelope’s, tying the two together. Yoon’s signature illustrative style is on display; with thick black outlines reminiscent of block-printed art, each page feels simultaneously simple and detailed. The shift of perspective to a bird’s-eye view of Penguin and Penelope and depictions of interlocking elephant trunks “hugging” add richness to the storytelling. In the same vein as the other Penguin tales, this one is sweet and earnest and sure to resonate with fans and newcomers.

lovely tale about the bonds of friendship. (Picture book. 36)