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Aug 12, 2017forbesrachel rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Missing Nimâmâ is a work of fiction that refers to a sadly widespread reality; the violence towards, and murder of indigenous women. Through this finely crafted picture book, the creators hope to raise awareness, and inspire action by portraying the experience of one family. Kateri misses her nimâmâ, and as we learn right from the beginning, it's because her mother was murdered. The murder itself, and the socioeconomic and psychological reasons for it are never mentioned. Instead, this heartbreaking story focuses on what this loss means to the daughter and the grandmother, and what it means to the departed mother. To do this, it is told from two perspectives: the girl who is doing her best to live her life, and the ghost of her watching mother, whose thoughts linger in italics. As Kateri grows up with her nôhkum and later with her own family, the mother expresses how much she loves her daughter, how proud she is, but also exhibits signs of anger, sadness, and even jealousy. The affects on the daughter are apparent more through the illustrations and events, because her half is told in third person, unlike her mother's which is in first. Thisdale's art is appropriately sobering at times, and full of loving warmth in others. The pictures are beautifully painted, and characters look photorealistic in order to create a stronger personal connection between the reader and the story. Florence's text is equally a part of the reason that people will be able to connect to the experience of this family. She never tries to dramatize what is happening or what the characters are feeling. She just tells it as it is through the little moments that matter. Readers who are not familiar with the Cree language and script will greatly appreciate the note on the very first page which introduces the words that are used throughout. Putting this at the front suggests a keenness to promote this language and culture just as much as the purpose is to tell a story; most picture books usually include such a chart at the end, leaving readers to discover it after the fact. At the back of this book is a note that includes the voices of different people, including that of the previous Canadian government which failed to address this issue, some facts, and a link to a resource that can help people find out more. Missing Nimâmâ offers the opportunity to open up a dialogue with children about how to treat women, how to deal with the loss of a loved one, what is happening to indigenous peoples, and what can be done. Every child, every parent, every person should read this book.