Book Review: Kokum, Are these Moose Tracks?: Celebrating Fall

Reviewed by Alex Hebert

Kokum, Are These Moose Tracks?: Celebrating Fall is the second book in the Joshua Learns from the Land series by Tyna Legault Taylor. I really enjoyed the first book: Dad, Is it Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the Seasons, and was excited to read this one.

On traditional territory in northeastern Ontario, Joshua, with the help of his Omushkego Cree and Anishinaabe family members, learns to hunt, fish, and harvest in every season. He connects with the land, plants, and animals.

The book includes Omushkegomowin (Swampy Cree language) and Anishinaabemowin, which are indicated by different text colours (Omushkegomowin in brown and Anishinaabemowin in green). The English words are in the margin for quick reference.

When the harvest begins every fall, Joshua looks forward to eating Kokum’s delicious moose meat stew at family feasts. He loves being on the land, and he can’t wait to go moose hunting with his Kokum. I love how it’s Joshua’s Kokum that takes him out to track and hunt moose. They talk a bit about hunting safety, and Kokum gives him tips on how to track moose and call them with the birchbark moose call.

So, of course, they see a lot of tracks on the land and identify them as different animals. It’s a lesson on tracks, which is always good to know. There are a lot of fun facts in the book about the animals they see the tracks for.

There is also a lesson from Kokum on watching for young calf tracks that would follow a cow moose and says to Joshua, “We are always careful only to hunt the bull moose and not the cows or calves. This way we help to make sure there will always be moose on the land.”

The book also refers to other hunting, fishing, and harvesting that is done in the Fall, but his favourite activity is moose hunting.

My favourite part of this series is the recipes. This one includes a recipe for Kokum’s moose meat stew with dumplings. I cannot wait to try this recipe!

This book also has a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Omushkegomowin and Anishinaabemowin words featured throughout the story. I notice more books are including words to learn in efforts to preserve Indigenous languages.

The illustrations by Michelle Dao are fun and colourful, and are very appealing for the 5-8 year old demographic.

Other books that will be part of this new series by Tyna Legault Taylor from Attawapiskat First Nation, located on the Traditional Territory of the Omushkego James Bay Cree of Treaty 9, and translated by Theresa Okimaw-Hall, Attawapiskat First Nation, include Mom, Is It Time for the Spring Niska Feast?, and Auntie, Are the Rabbits Running?.

Tyna Legault Taylor. Kokum, are these Moose Tracks?: Celebrating Fall. Winnipeg: HighWater Press, 2025.

ISBN: 978-1-77492-147-0