Mnoomin Maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin - Brittany Luby

nIn this bilingual book, an Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life mnoomin sustains.n nWritten in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible--Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle and Moose, all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats...until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again.n nWe follow the child and family through a harvest day as they make offerings of tobacco, then gently knock ripe seeds into their canoe. On shore, they prepare the seeds, cook up a feast, and gratefully plant some seeds they'd set aside.n nThis beautifully written and illustrated story reveals the cultural and ecological importance of mnoomin. As the author's note explains, many Anishinaabeg agree that wild rice is an inaccurate term for this plant relation, since part of the harvest is sown every year to help sustain human and non-human beings. Includes a translator's note.n n n nKey Text Featuresn nexplanationn nillustrationsn ninformational noten ntranslationsn ntranslator's noten n n nCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: n nCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2n nRetell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.n