laget hiyt toxwum / Herring to Huckleberries

by osil Betty Wilson, Prashant Miranda (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s ošil’s favourite time of year! When the seasons change and the weather grows warm, the ɬagət̓ (herring) return to the waters of the ɬaʔəmɩn Nation, located on the southwest coast of British Columbia. For ošil and her grandparents, their arrival is the beginning of a full year of harvesting traditional foods provided by the sea and land. Together they fish, pick berries, and dig for clams. Everything tastes so good. And the best part is that there is enough for everyone to share!

Connect with the land and explore traditional Indigenous ways of gathering food in this beautifully illustrated picture book written in the language spoken in ʔayʔajuθəm and English. Drawn from the childhood memories of ošil (Betty Wilson), this book is sure to charm readers of all ages. This book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide, a map, and illustrations and descriptions of the traditional foods mentioned in the story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774921180
Publisher:	Portage & Main Press
Publication date:	04/15/2025
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	7.75(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

ošil (Betty Wilson) has lived in her community of ɬaʔamɩn (Tla’amin), British Columbia, her entire life. Throughout her 25-year teaching career, she worked extensively to revitalize the ʔayʔajuθəm language, and continues to work as part of a team that is archiving ʔayʔajuθəm words and phrases so they are not lost. She enjoys weaving traditional cedar-root baskets and hopes to become a master in this art.

Prashant Miranda grew up in Bangalore and studied at India’s National Institute of Design. After moving to Canada in 1999, he designed children’s animated shows for TV in Toronto. He now spends his time in the rainforests on the west coast of Canada, where he travels and documents his life through his watercolour journals, animates films, teaches visual art, illustrates children’s books, and paints murals.

What People are Saying About This

Nicola I. Campbell

I absolutely loved this story. Culturally located along the Salish Sea in Tla'amin Traditional Territory (Sliammon, BC) , this story gives readers the opportunity to experience life through the main character's eyes as she harvests traditional foods with her grandparents. The colourful images and descriptions—of herring roe, fish soup, and mashed fresh harvested berries with oven bread—are wonderful and made me wish for all these delicacies.

Cameron Fraser-Monroe

Prashant Miranda's expressive illustrations bring ošil’s story of ɬaʔəmɩn lands, language, and food to life. Whether this is an introduction to ʔayʔajuθəm or a warm trip down memory lane, as it was for me, this book will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

Original, unique, informative, fun and fascinating from cover to cover, "laget hiyt toxwum / Herring to Huckleberries" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for family, elementary school, and community library Native American and Bilingual picture book collections for children ages 6-8.

The Midwest Book Review

Tender story...beams to life with the colourful illustrations. Herring to Huckleberries inspires us to be more sharing, community-minded, and aware of nature’s abundance (and the importance of preserving it).

The British Columbia Review

A polished, delightful read featuring engaging illustrations.

qathet Living magazine

Whimsically illustrated...Bilingual picture book revisits sights, sounds and cherished memories living on the southwest coast.

Coast Reporter

Among 49th Shelf's Decolonize Your Classroom With Land-Based Learning list

49th Shelf