The Song Within My Heart facts for kids
| Author | David Bouchard |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Allen Sapp |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Subject | coming of age in a Cree household |
| Genre | children's picture book |
The Song within my Heart is a children's picture book. It was written by David Bouchard and has beautiful pictures by Allen Sapp. The book was first published in 2002. It tells the story of a young Cree boy. The story is based on the real memories of the illustrator, Allen Sapp, which he shared with the author. Allen Sapp even won a special award, the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration, in 2003 for his amazing illustrations.
Contents
What the Story is About
This book is about a young boy growing up in a regular Cree family. He has a very close connection with his grandmother. She cares deeply about her heritage. She wants to teach her grandson all about their traditions and knowledge.
To do this, she takes him to his very first pow-wow. A pow-wow is a special gathering for Indigenous people. It is a time for dancing, singing, and celebrating culture. Through this exciting experience, the boy learns many new things. He discovers more about his family's history and his Cree culture.
He learns in ways he never imagined. For example, the people playing the drums at the pow-wow share their stories. They tell them through the rhythm and beats of their drums. The young boy not only learns about his heritage. He also starts to see the world differently. He realizes that his family's history is all around him.
About the Author, David Bouchard
David Bouchard is a Canadian author. He is also Métis, which is one of Canada's Indigenous peoples. He has written more than fifty books for people of all ages.
Mr. Bouchard is also a school teacher and a principal. He travels across Canada. He speaks to many people about the history of First Nations peoples. He helps others learn about Indigenous cultures.
Sharing Canadian Identity
David Bouchard helps share what it means to be Canadian. He does this by traveling and speaking about his Métis language and culture. By sharing his heritage with many people, he shows an important part of Canada's identity. Canada is a country with many different cultures and languages.
About the Illustrator, Allen Sapp
Dr. Allen Sapp was a famous Aboriginal artist. He grew up on the Red Pheasant Reserve in Saskatchewan. This was during the 1930s, and his grandparents raised him.
The Canada Council for the Arts gave him a special award. They said his paintings were simple and beautiful. They also said his work showed great dignity. It powerfully confirmed the strong connections between different generations.
