Book review: The Raven Mother

Reviewed by Alex Hebert

The Raven Mother is a non-fiction book about the roles of ravens, how they affect the food web, and why they are essential to ecosystems. The work was written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, and it is the sixth book in the Mothers of Xsan series.

The text contains simple scientific terms that can be challenging for many children; however, to combat this, there is a description for words that may be unfamiliar or new to young readers. The illustrations are captivating and informational to ensure children not only understand the information but are also interested.  The images seem to pop off the page!

Author Hetxw’ms Gyetwx is from the Gitxsan territory in Northwestern British Columbia. In this book, he shares his knowledge of the Gitxsan moon cycles and includes different words and terms from his language. This challenges children to read between the lines and infer based on pictures, what these words might mean.

Previous books include:  The Sockeye Mother, The Grizzly Mother, The Eagle Mother, The Frog Mother and The Wolf Mother.

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) and Natasha Donovan (Illustrator). The Raven Mother. Winnipeg: Portage and Main Press, 2022.

ISBN 9781774920039