The Moccasins

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

A little boy feels safe and loved in his foster home. His foster mother
gives him a gift of a pair of moccasins as she tells him about his
Native background and that being Aboriginal is a good thing. The boy
loves his fine soft shoes and wears them until he outgrows them. His
foster mother then packs them away in a box for safekeeping. The boy
grows into a man and begins his own family. When he has a child of his
own, his foster mother brings a gift of the same moccasins to the new
baby. Now this baby will wear the moccasins and feel the love and pride
that his father felt when he wore them.

This is an exquisite picture book. Every word of text and each line in
the geometrically centred drawings unite to create an aura of
simplicity, peace, and honesty, and the circle shapes in the pictures
echo the circle-of-life theme expressed in the narrative. Although the
book is set primarily inside a house, nature is always present in the
form of plants and animals, connecting the boy’s current life with his
Native roots. In fact, the watchful spirit of a little bird is a
constant presence. This is a completely unified work of art that
elegantly and gracefully evokes the sense of safety and serenity that
comes from the support and protection of a loving family. Highly
recommended.