Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Chief Jake Swamp, Erwin Printup Jr

Book cover for Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
Book cover for Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Chief Jake Swamp, Erwin Printup Jr

  • Become a member to save 50% off your first order and then 30% on all future orders. Simply add any book to cart and you’ll see an option to become a member
  • 100% of this book's profits go to our community of authors.
Get 50% off your first order, and then 30% off everything
Member Book Price
$11.95$5.98
Monthly Membership
First month free, renews at $5.00
$0.00

Log in to access your Membership or Book Club price

  • Allstora Membership will renew at $5/month, cancel any time
View full details

Description

Reading Rainbow Selection - PBS Kids

A traditional Iroquois celebration of the beauty and spirit of Mother Earth, as told by a contemporary Mohawk chief.

For as long as anyone can remember, Mohawk parents have taught their children to start each day by giving thanks to Mother Earth. Also known as the Thanksgiving Address, this good morning message is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift. The whole universe - from the highest stars to the tiniest blade of grass - is addressed as one great family.

Now readers of all ages can share in this tribute to the environment, adapted especially for children by Chief Jake Swamp, whose efforts to share this vision of thanksgiving take him all over the world. Chief Swamp's inspirational message, along with Erwin Printup, Jr.'s unforgettable landscapes, make Giving Thanks a timeless celebration of the spirit of nature.

About the Author

Chief Jake Swamp (Tekaronianeken) was a founder of the Tree of Peace Society, an international organization promoting peace and conservation. Chief Swamp delivered the Thanksgiving Address throughout the world, as well as at the United Nations. He was born on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation in upstate New York, and lived in Hogansburg, NY where he worked as a cultural adviser for the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne's Child and Family Services. Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message was his first picture book. He passed away in October 2010.

Erwin Printup is a Cayuga/Tuscarora painter who received a degree in fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Art, in Santa Fe, NM. Born in Niagara Falls, he now lives in Lewiston, NY. Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message is his first picture book.

Critical Reviews

"Swamp has made the [Thanksgiving] address accessible to all ages without hindering its easy reverence... A simple, tender celebration of good fortune." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The flat planes and saturated colors of Printup's highly stylized acrylic paintings form a handsome backdrop to this ancient Iroquois message of thanksgiving, adapted for children by a chief of the Mohawk nation. A salute to Mother Earth and all her beauty, the "good morning message" is traditionally delivered at the beginning of each day and at special ceremonies. Its simple, timeless language bears witness to the Native American reverence for the natural world and sense of unity with all living things... Eye-catching." -- Publishers Weekly

"A powerful way of acknowledging the connectedness of the whole universe, this salute to Mother Nature is reverent and simple, filled with phrases that acknowledge our privilege and bounty to be human in this great world... The richness of the earth is colorfully depicted." -- The Children's Book Review

Reading Rainbow Selection - PBS Kids

Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Editors' Choice - Booklist

Publishing Information

Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Pub date: 1995-09-01
Length: 24 pages

The Allstora Membership

Membership Perks:

  • Save 30% on all online store purchases
  • Exclusive access to author's content
  • You pay less, but authors still earn double

Membership Terms:

First Month: $0.00
Monthly price: $5.00
  • To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
  • One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.