It’s Powwow Time!

Before you even get to the text of this wonderful book, you will be captivated by the vibrant colours and dramatic design of the illustrations. In this case, you can judge a book by its cover.

Illustrator Hawlii Pichette’s illustrations use simple outline shapes and figures filled with vivid colours to portray the joy and movement as a young boy participates in his first powwow.

Author Martha Troian’s text will make a great read-aloud with onomatopoeia throughout. Even the sounds of mosquitoes at the powwow make it into the story.

The moon is glimmering,
mosquitoes are buzzing,
mini donuts are dropping.
Bzzzzzzz, bzzzzzzz, bzzzzzzz!

The story begins with a young boy’s excitement when he wakes up on the morning of the powwow, moves on to his hesitation when he arrives at the gathering, and then shows his confidence improving as he watches and explores the activity until he is ready to join in.

The illustrations help readers understand the passage of time as the early morning sky gives way to the sunrise and eventually sunset and then moonrise. To complete the cycle of the full day, the sky is filled with fireworks and the sounds of “POP, CRACK, POP!, exactly the same sounds that breakfast was making when the day began.

Although I can’t confirm the accuracy of the regalia portrayed in the illustrations, I feel confident that the four birds illustrated are identifiable representations of a cardinal, chickadee, robin, and sparrow. With that much attention to detail, I feel that the other illustrations are equally accurate.

The author’s note at the end explains that “A powwow is a cultural gathering celebrated yearly by many Indigenous groups and Nations in what is now called North America. Powwows involve dancing, singing, drumming, food, and connecting with friends and family.”

I highly recommend adding It’s Powwow Time! to your picture book collection. It is beautiful, fun to read, and a wonderful introduction of a significant First Nations tradition.