Raven’s Ribbons

PreS-Gr 2–An intergenerational story woven with love, inclusion, and joy. Raven loves to participate in round dances with Grandma, and his favorite part is to watch the ribbon skirts. She is revered for making ribbon skirts that are as beautiful as they are unique to the person they are made for: “Like people, no two skirts are the same.” When Raven asks “Nohkum, do you think a boy could wear a ribbon skirt?” Grandma replies that though she has lived a long time, she has never seen a boy wear a ribbon skirt. While Raven sleeps, Grandma thinks about all the ribbon skirts she has ever made and the people she has made them for and she sits down to sew a skirt that is as beautiful and unique as Raven. Hand in hand with Grandma, Raven and his rainbow ribbon skirt dance to conclude the story. The acrylic artwork, painted by Two-Spirit Ojibwe elder Ramirez, crosses pages beautifully in a way that evokes circular images throughout the story. It’s completed with a note from both the author and the artist and full-color endpapers.