The first one really sets the tone: “Imagine how less lonely the world would be if we knew and believed that we didn’t have to figure everything out by ourselves.” Another explains about that honorable harvest is “to take only what is given, to use it well, to be grateful for the gift, and to reciprocate the gift.” There are also small boxes that include definitions of key words like reciprocity or kin. Throughout the book, there are quotes pulled from the text that are featured within a circle of sweetgrass. Readers begin with an introduction to sweetgrass and an invitation to remember our connection to the world and the beings within it. The text, colors, and images are peaceful and encourage pauses and contemplation. If you’re thinking that the text is doing a lot, you are not wrong, but it’s never chaotic. It’s an inspirational book that is part memoir, part science text, and part love letter. This book carries so much meaning and love and I’m thankful that it is in the world for young readers.īraiding Sweetgrass is about connection and being in relationship with the earth, plants, animals, and humans.

They managed to maintain the message of the book while also making it accessible and visually appealing to a younger audience or even adult readers who appreciate fewer words with a larger font, more blank space, and beautiful images that support the text. Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhardt have shared Robin’s words in an extraordinary way.

My thoughts: I don’t know who had the idea to make this adaptation, but this book is a gift and we’re fortunate that people worked together to make this happen. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults brings Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. Publisher summary: Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things-from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen-provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt

Book braiding