Awards

• Runner-up for TD Canadian Children's Literature Award 2017 (Canada)
• Winner of Governor General's Literary Awards 2017 (Canada)
• Winner of McNally Robinson Best Book for Young People Award/Younger Category 2017 (Canada)

Overview

Winner of the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award! A young girl notices things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak Cree and spend so much time with her family? As the girl asks questions, her grandmother shares her experiences in a residential school, when all of these things were taken away. Also available in a bilingual Swampy Cree/English edition. Download the free teacher guide on the Portage & Main Press website.

Full Product Details

9781553796732

Table of Contents

Reviews

Done simply, but with devastating clearness this is the story of a woman telling her granddaughter of her time in one of the boarding schools to which Canadian First Nation children were taken. She tells of the brutal methods used to strip them of their own cultures and how they managed to quietly, but firmly resist this. The lovely illustrations further the powerful emotional clout of this important book. - Monica Edinger, Educating Alice -Done simply, but with devastating clearness this is the story of a woman telling her granddaughter of her time in one of the boarding schools to which Canadian First Nation children were taken. She tells of the brutal methods used to strip them of their own cultures and how they managed to quietly, but firmly resist this. The lovely illustrations further the powerful emotional clout of this important book.- - Monica Edinger, Educating Alice -Julie's Flett's illustrations are impeccable. The contrast between the colourful and bleak illustrations perfectly match the narrative. The relatively small size of the book makes it perfect for sharing with younger children.When We Were Alone addresses the topic of residential schools and, just as importantly, aspects of Cree culture and language. There is such gentleness about When We Were Alone that makes it an appropriate book for the even youngest of readers. Simply put, this is a much-needed book.Highly Recommended.-- Dr. Kristen Ferguson, CM Magazine -Beautiful, painful, and shining with truth and dignity.- - Richard Van Camp -...Robertson handles a delicate task here admirably well: explaining residential schools, that shameful legacy, and making them understandable to small children. It's a dark history, and the author doesn't disguise that, but he wisely focuses the grandmother's tale on how, season by season, the students use creativity, imagination, and patience to retain their sense of identity. A beautifully quiet, bold strength arises from the continued refrain -When we were alone- and in how the children insisted on being themselves. Flett's gorgeous, skillful illustrations have a flattened, faux naive feel to them, like construction paper collage, a style that works perfectly with the story. She nicely contrasts the school's dull browns and grays with the riotous colors surrounding Nokom and gets much expression from her simple silhouettes.Spare, poetic, and moving, this Cree heritage story makes a powerful impression.- - Kirkus Reviews -When We Were Alone is rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it.- - Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature. Robertson's text moves between the present and the past, the girl's questions and Nokom's memories, which deepen and intensify the quiet, powerful way she lives out her own culture, day by day, in the present. A beautifully rendered story of resisitance and love, this is made all the more luminous by Flett's art - not just by flashes of fuschsia or scarlet among ochre grasses, but by her precisely observed images of the compact bodies of the uniformed children, bowed beneath the weight of the scissors, or lovingly tending each other's hair. Highly recommended. - Deirdre Baker, Toronto Star Flett's spring palette of warm blues and browns punctuated with splashes of red contrasts the loving moments between grandmother and granddaughter with stark winter whites and grays depicting boarding school life. The repetitive structure creates a predictable narrative; together the illustrations and Robertson's child-centred text make the boarding school experience accessible to a young audience without glossing over its harshness. Verdict: a poignant family story covering a part of history too often missing from library collections. - Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN A quiet story...of love and resistance.... Flett's collage illustrations, with their simplicity and earthy colors, are soulful and gentle.... All readers will connect with how Nokom lives in celebration of colors, her long hair, her language, and, most of all, her family. - The Horn Book Magazine, a starred review Julie's Flett's illustrations are impeccable. The contrast between the colourful and bleak illustrations perfectly match the narrative. The relatively small size of the book makes it perfect for sharing with younger children.When We Were Alone addresses the topic of residential schools and, just as importantly, aspects of Cree culture and language. There is such gentleness about When We Were Alone that makes it an appropriate book for the even youngest of readers. Simply put, this is a much-needed book.Highly Recommended. - Dr. Kristen Ferguson, CM Magazine .. .Robertson handles a delicate task here admirably well: explaining residential schools, that shameful legacy, and making them understandable to small children. It's a dark history, and the author doesn't disguise that, but he wisely focuses the grandmother's tale on how, season by season, the students use creativity, imagination, and patience to retain their sense of identity. A beautifully quiet, bold strength arises from the continued refrain When we were alone and in how the children insisted on being themselves. Flett's gorgeous, skillful illustrations have a flattened, faux naive feel to them, like construction paper collage, a style that works perfectly with the story. She nicely contrasts the school's dull browns and grays with the riotous colors surrounding Nokom and gets much expression from her simple silhouettes.Spare, poetic, and moving, this Cree heritage story makes a powerful impression. - Kirkus Reviews When We Were Alone is rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it. - Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature. Beautiful, painful, and shining with truth and dignity. - Richard Van Camp Robertsonhandles a delicate task here admirably well: explaining residential schools, that shamefullegacy, and making them understandable to small children. It s a dark history, and the author doesn t disguise that, but hewisely focuses the grandmother s tale on how, season by season, the students use creativity, imagination, and patience toretain their sense of identity. A beautifully quiet, bold strength arises from the continued refrain When we were alone and in how the children insisted on being themselves. Flett sgorgeous, skillful illustrations have a flattened, faux naive feel to them, like construction paper collage, a style that works perfectlywith the story. She nicely contrasts the school s dull browns and grays with the riotous colors surrounding Nokom andgets much expression from her simple silhouettes.Spare, poetic, and moving, this Cree heritage story makes a powerful impression. - Kirkus Reviews When We Were Aloneis rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it. - Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature.

Robertson's text moves between the present and the past, the girl's questions and Nokom's memories, which deepen and intensify the quiet, powerful way she lives out her own culture, day by day, in the present. A beautifully rendered story of resisitance and love, this is made all the more luminous by Flett's art - not just by flashes of fuschsia or scarlet among ochre grasses, but by her precisely observed images of the compact bodies of the uniformed children, bowed beneath the weight of the scissors, or lovingly tending each other's hair. Highly recommended. - Deirdre Baker, Toronto Star

Beautiful, painful, and shining with truth and dignity. - <i>Richard Van Camp </i>

<i> When We Were Alone</i>is rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it. - Debbie Reese, <i>American Indians in Children's Literature</i><i>.</i>

A quiet story...of love and resistance.... Flett's collage illustrations, with their simplicity and earthy colors, are soulful and gentle.... All readers will connect with how Nokom lives in celebration of colors, her long hair, her language, and, most of all, her family. - The Horn Book Magazine, a starred review

Author Information

David A. Robertson (he/him/his) is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, as well as the Writer's Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate. He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba for outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements in 2023. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg. Julie Flett is a Swampy Cree and Red River Métis author, illustrator and artist. She has received numerous awards for her picture books, including the Governor General’s Award for When We Were Alone and On The Trapline (written by David A. Robertson), the American Indian Library Association Award for Little You (written by Richard Van Camp) and a BolognaRagazzi Award special mention for We Sang You Home (also written by Richard Van Camp). She is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Award. Her picture book Birdsong was awarded the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for 2020 and Wild Berries was chosen as Canada’s First Nation Communities Read title selection for 2014-2015.

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