Nimoshom and His Bus

PreS-Gr 2--Nimoshom means "my grandfather" in Cree. The narrator tells readers about her grandfather's experience as a school bus driver and his interactions with the children he saw every day. Each spread teaches a word or two of Cree as greetings, observations about the day, gentle scoldings, and storytelling, within the context of the story . "In the morning, nimoshom would greet the kids. He would say: 'Tansi!' Tansi means hello." It is obvious that the narrator's grandfather loved driving a bus and the children loved him. The penultimate spread explains that some Cree don't say goodbye, and that, "Nimoshom was one of them." Instead they say "Ekosi," which which has many meaning, including "okay, that's it, or amen." Despite the use of past tense throughout the book, the final spread still resonates emotionally as readers realize that these are memories. "Nimoshom was a good man. Ekosi." The tender story is accompanied by soft watercolor washes dominated by blues, grays, and school-bus yellow. The loose style is well suited to the reminiscent tone of the text while firmly asserting the modern day setting. There is a list of Cree words at the end of the story but no pronunciation guide is provided; however, that shouldn't discourage non-Cree speakers from enjoying this sweet story. VERDICT Part language primer, part loving tribute, this picture book adds up to a lovely addition for most library collections.--Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

We're always delighted by books by Native writers—especially ones set in the present. The straightforward text is terrific. Hibbard's illustrations perfectly capture the warmth and joy of the kids on that bus, and the guy who drives their bus. I highly recommend Nimoshom and His Bus! It'd be a simple thing to use other Native words in addition to-or instead of-the Cree words in the book.—Debbie Reese "American Indians in Children's Literature"