First Blade of Sweetgrass

This Own Voices Native American picture book, told through beautifully painted illustrations, shares a sweet story of a modern Wabanaki girl accompanying her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making.

As the granddaughter wrestles her excitement, she must also develop patience as she  learns to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses.  Slowly the peace of her surroundings and the spirit of her ancestors speak to her, as she gathers the sweetgrass in the same way that her ancestors have done for centuries, making sure to leave the first blade she sees to grow for future generations.

This authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband is a lovely tribute to traditions and generational love and includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.