My Friend May

K-Gr 2–From a talented picture book creator, this is the story of May, the black cat who grew up alongside a young Cree girl, Margaux, in their lush, warm home. Even as May independently roams around the home and yard, she routinely comes back home at dinner time—until one day, she is nowhere to be found. As they search for her best feline friend, the time comes for Margaux’s auntie (nitôsis) to move to the city. Worry fills nitôsis, who calls Margaux to check on May’s status. No sign of the cat. A “meow” from one of Auntie’s packing boxes solves the mystery, and Auntie feeds May and drives back to Margaux’s home. This book depicts the organic, cozy bond between Margaux and May in the craggy-edged art style and soft palette. At the end of the story is a Cree language guide for the vocabulary used, accompanied by a description and reasoning of its lingual structure.