The Grizzly Mother

Gr 3-7–A mother grizzly bear awakens and spends three years caring for her cubs near the Gitxsan Territories in northwest British Columbia in this informational picture book. Donovan’s beautifully colored digital illustrations evoke traditional form line art and woodcuts to help tell the story of the bears and their relation to the Gitxsan people. While some vocabulary words are defined in numbered yellow footnotes on the pages on which they appear, there are many words of similar difficulty that are not defined. There is no pronunciation guide for the Gitxsan words used, and while some are defined in the text, not all are. Gyetxw’s text is lyrical and thoughtful and will be engaging to readers who wish to learn more about the grizzly or the Gitxsan people’s relationship with nature. The illustrations are captivating and meticulous two-page spreads—they are carefully laid out with keen attention to detail and inspire a close look.