Description
Dancing in My Bones: La Daans daan Mii Zoo is a delightful and engaging bilingual picture book by Métis storyteller Wilfred Burton along with educator Anne Patton. This English and Michif book offers readers in the elementary grades a story about learning how a Métis child learns to dance the Métis style of dance known as jigging. This is a follow up book to Fiddle Dancer that introduced a boy named Nolin and his grandfather. Nolin learns more about his Métis heritage by listening to his grandfather recount tales of his first hunt, red lipstick kisses from family, Uncle Bunny's fiddling, and the return of the Bannock Jig. Surrounded by his family at Christmas, Nolin experiences similar feelings of love and happiness that his grandfather shared in the stories. Nolin even had the courage to join in the dancing by demonstrating the jigs his grandfather taught him. Nolin comes to realize the warmth, love, and sheer enjoyment of participating in family gatherings and dancing. The alternating English and Michif text on each colourful page captures the exuberance of a Métis extended family gathering. Norman Fleury provides the Michif text. Sherry Farrell Racette illustrates this 40-page book in her brilliant and colourful style. The book includes an audio CD with the English narration by Wilfred Burton; the Michif narration is by Norman Fleury. The CD includes several fiddle music songs. The glossary provides helpful introduction to Michif terms, and the recipe for the Métis Christmas staple, Toutiere, is included. Dancing in My Bones received the First Peoples' Publishing Award 2009.