Our Ancestors' Kitchen

A poignant and poetic picture book celebrating traditional Indigenous harvesting, foods, and the connections that these build for all our relations.

It’s a special day: the young protagonist in this memorable story is learning her grandfather’s favorite recipe from her grandmother! As each ingredient is prepared for this special dish, readers will be eager to follow along as they are transported back to each instance of gathering, hunting, and harvesting foods in the traditional ways throughout the seasons.

Willie Poll’s poetic voice leads the readers through the seasons and what Mother Earth offers to us in nature in this beautiful celebration of the Earth, our foods, our family, and the importance of grieving those we love. With an emphasis on the importance of thanking the land for what is given to us, sharing with our community, and offering a plate to our ancestors, this gentle and thoughtful tale will resonate with readers young and old alike. Shaikara David’s bright and inviting illustrations carry the cooking experience from the kitchen, to the forest, and back again.

Featuring an author’s note on traditional harvesting practices and a recipe for Nuwish, Our Ancestors’ Kitchen is a joyous exploration of love, food, and culture.

• INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION: Features Métis, Anishinaabe, and Mohawk representations in the text and the art, representative of both Willie and Shaikara
• IMPORTANT THEMES: Themes of indigenous food harvesting and the connection to the past through ancestors
• BACKMATTER: features an author’s note about Indigenous food harvesting practices, questions for the reader, and a recipe for Nuwish
• DUAL LANGUAGE: Features Anishinaabemowin words for animals and medicines
• FOR FANS OF: Tomatoes for Neela and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
• LEVELING INFO: Coming soon