Lessons from Mother Earth

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

This enchanting picture book for small children teaches understanding
and reverence for Mother Earth, for her flowers and fruits, and for the
incredible beauty of Grandma’s “garden”—namely, the woods and
meadows that surround her cabin in the mountains of Western Canada.

Tess, a young Native girl, and her grandma walk together through the
garden, picking wild fruits, dandelion shoots, and lamb’s quarters for
supper. Soon there will be mushrooms; later, blueberries. On their walk,
Tess learns that Mother Earth will sustain them if Tess does not take
more than she needs and if she does not damage the garden. She also
learns the importance of caring for the land and respecting nature. As
the two return home at sunset, Tess thanks Mother Earth for sharing, and
thanks the Great Spirit for giving her “such a wise grandma.”

Colleen Wood is an established graphic designer, illustrator, and
painter who lives in Vancouver. Her soft watercolor images, from the
garden in full bloom to the changing seasons, perfectly illustrate
Elaine McLeod’s gentle, poetic text. McLeod is a member of the Na-Cho
Nyak Dun First Nation. She lives in White Horse, Yukon. This is her
first book, and it’s a fine one. Lessons from Mother Earth has lessons
for us all. Highly recommended.