December Book Reviews

Page 19

Coyote's New Suit

by Thomas King

Key Porter Books ($19.95)

If you have a young reader in the family and you want to start him or her off with a quality author, then there is no better writer than Thomas King. In this, King's second children's book, Coyote brags about his toasty brown suit, but his confidence that it is the finest fur in the forest is shaken by Raven. Coyote "borrows" a bathing bear's impressive skin, then makes off with Porcupine's sporty model. He then gives the hides of Racoon, Beaver and Moose a try. Soon the forest is in an uproar. When all the animals have nothing to wear, it is left to Raven to sort matters out. Coyote's New Suit is a wise and witty tale about the consequences of wanting more than you need.

Miracle on Centre Street

The Story of Calgary's

Mustard Seed Ministry

by Gerald W. Hankins

Essence Publishing ($20.00)

The publisher suggests that by reading this book you will be changed. A book about Calgary's Mustard Seed Ministry was a departure for Gerald W. Hankins, author of four biographies. Hankins had seen poverty while working in a hospital in Nepal, but only since he began researching this book has he come to understand the reasons for burgeoning homelessness in prosperous Canada.

The Moccasins

by Earl Einarson

Theytus Books ($10.95)

This slim little book features a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother that encourages self-esteem, acceptance and love. The story is based on the author's personal experience. Earl Einarson is a member of the Ktunaxa First Nation. The sweet illustrations are the effort of Julie Flett of Cree/Metis descent.

Finding My Talk

How Fourteen Native Women Reclaimed Their Lives after Residential School

by Agnes Grant

Fifth House Ltd. ($19.95)

Included in this book about triumph over the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual abuses suffered in residential schools is Mi'kmaq poet Rita Joe's account of how she overcame obstacles to become a strong and independent member of society. The women's stories in Finding My Talk speak of the resilience of the human spirit and will serve to inspire others. Agnes Grant is the author of No End of Grief: Indian Residential Schools in Canada, and Our Bit of Truth: An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature.

"Real" Indians and Others

Mixed-Blood Urban Native Peoples and Indigenous Nationhood

by Bonita Lawrence

UBC Press ($34.95)

Bonita Lawrence is an assistant professor of women's studies and Native studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. In "Real" Indians and Others, Lawrence draws on the accounts of 30 Toronto residents of Native heritage and discusses federal legislation that divides Aboriginal people into different legal categories and the effect that has on the individual. The book looks at how Natives with Indian status react and respond to non-status Natives and impose an identity on urban Natives.