Grandmother Mouse

by Peter Thomas McKay, Peter Thomas McKay (Illustrator), Wolf Clan Leader Herbert K'eex_kw (Contribution by)

Overview

When the nighttime sky fills with stars, Grandmother Mouse awakens and begins her grounding ceremonies.

Inhale, exhale 

Inhale, exhale 

Inhale, exhale… 

Gifted to the Nisg̱a’a People, Grandmother Mouse is a nurturing protector, tending to the hearts and minds of the people, the plants, the animals, and all of our relations. Imbuing the world with smudge, blessings, and affirmations, Grandmother Mouse is here to offer you gentle, yet profound, teachings so you may walk through life with good intention and strong spirit.

Medicine Wheel Publishing is committed to sharing diverse voices and perspectives, creating a platform for stories that celebrate Indigenous cultures and inspire understanding and respect among readers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781778540608
Publisher:	Medicine Wheel Publishing
Publication date:	04/08/2025
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Peter Thomas McKay/G̱alksi-De’entkw, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., is an Educator from the Nisg̱a’a First Nation along the Nass River Valley in the Northwest Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Peter is born into the matrilineal fireweed fortress clan among the killer whale crest people. His oral stories have been favorites in his home and in the schools where he works. He grew up hearing his language and cultural stories of his nation and clan through the many check-in visits to elders during his adolescent grooming years with his wolf clan father.

Peter Thomas McKay/G̱alksi-De’entkw, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., is an Educator from the Nisg̱a’a First Nation along the Nass River Valley in the Northwest Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Peter is born into the matrilineal fireweed fortress clan among the killer whale crest people. His oral stories have been favorites in his home and in the schools where he works. He grew up hearing his language and cultural stories of his nation and clan through the many check-in visits to elders during his adolescent grooming years with his wolf clan father.

Editorial Reviews

Book Life Review:

First Nations author McKay shares the Nisga’a narrative of Grandmother Mouse, whose evening role “is a great undertaking to ensure that life will move forward in a strong manner.” When night first twinkles its brilliance across the velvet sky, Grandmother Mouse wakes from her sleep, breathes deeply, and prepares to meet her day, readying herself to bestow blessings and care to the world around her. Her duties include nurturing the plants needed to create “special medicines,” offering loving greetings to newborn babies, and performing smudge ceremonies for sleeping children, so they will “have only loving thoughts and energy.”

Grandmother Mouse—a gentle, warm presence in the sleeping world—is portrayed in bold, geometric lines that speak of her tenderness and compassion. The story’s smallest details are eye-catching and lovingly crafted, with even Grandmother Mouse’s wool robe taking vivid shape, buoyed by brilliant hues and Indigenous art. Grandmother Mouse’s sensitivity to the needs of others infuses every inch of McKay’s writing, as she reminds readers of the power that comes with self-affirmation, speaking phrases like “I am an amazing creation” over herself, just as she whispers “may your roots grow deep so that you may show your beauty and unique purpose” to her treasured plants.

Readers of all ages will cherish the kindness that radiates throughout this tale, evoked by Grandmother Mouse’s special attentions and spoken blessings. As the world slumbers on, she sighs loving tones of empathy and affection to those in her care, wishing for new babies to “receive everything that your heart desires,” prompting herself to be “happy on my way,” and counseling readers to “keep kindness in your heart and all will be well.” The wisdom, benevolence, and tender regard McKay shares with readers are important cornerstones in a world too often consumed by greed and selfishness.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

From the Publisher