I Sang You Down from the Stars

Anticipating the birth of her child, and the welcome she will give this beloved newcomer, a mother gathers various items for a medicine bundle, each of which has spiritual significance. A white feather found after seeing the beauty of a shooting star, cedar and sage to keep the spirit strong, a pebble from the banks of a rushing river that recalls a sense of place—each item will serve to tie the baby to their world and to who they are...

I Sang You Down from the Stars is a lovely picture-book, one I sought out chiefly because I am an admirer of Tlingit illustrator Michaela Goade's work. I was certainly not disappointed on that score, finding the artwork here—created using watercolor and mixed media—simply gorgeous! That being said, show more the narrative from Inniniwak (Cree) author Tasha Spillett-Sumner was also appealing, capturing the keen sense of joyful anticipation experienced by the mother, as well as the world of wonder waiting for her baby. Although this kind of book focuses more on the parental viewpoint, I think it can still serve as a wonderful reassurance tale for young children, letting them know how much they were wanted, and how welcome they are in their families and in the world. Recommended primarily to picture-book readers seeking this kind of narrative, as well as to those looking for titles with a Native American cultural outlook. show less

Anticipation, pregnancy, and the birth of a baby are celebrated in this story from Spillett-Sumner (Inniniwak) and Caldecott medalist Goade (Tlingit).

When a baby chooses its mother, special gatherings of family and community are held to prepare for the child’s arrival. Sacred items are collected and placed in a medicine bundle to be given to the baby at birth. These items will keep the growing child’s connection to their identity strong. Spillett-Sumner’s lyrical text begins as an Indigenous mother plans the journey with her unborn child. “Before I held you in my arms, I sang you down from the stars.” When she finds a white eagle plume, it becomes “the first gift in a bundle that will be yours.” The young mother finds more show more items for her child’s bundle: cedar, sage, a “star blanket,” and a special river stone “so that you always remember that you belong to this place.” The baby arrives in the spring, “with the waters that come when the ice breaks and the rivers flow again.” Goade uses a white “swoosh” of stars throughout the illustrations to intertwine traditional origin stories with a family’s experience of “love and joy” upon the arrival of the new baby, in scenes that pulse with both emotions. Author and illustrator each contribute a note describing how they drew upon their respective cultural traditions to inform their work, which will open the book up to a wide range of readers.

Gorgeous, shimmering, heartfelt. (Picture book. 3-7)

-Kirkus Review show less

Thanksgiving family read-aloud picture book binge.

I'm not a fan of picture books that are just mothers' odes to their infants, so I was groaning inside as I opened the book, but the indigenous person perspective caught my attention right away with its spirituality and traditions and gave fresh life to the genre. Very nice.

After reading, I realized I have also been enjoying the author's Surviving the City graphic novel series.

Brief Summary:
A lyrical story where a mother-to-be, drawing on her Inniniwak (Cree) traditions, prepares for her new baby by gathering gifts (a feather, cedar, sage, a river stone) to create a sacred medicine bundle, celebrating the child's connection to tradition and the natural world.

The book is considered highly authentic because it was created by two Indigenous women, author Tasha Spillett-Sumner (Inniniwak/Cree) and illustrator Michaela Goade (Tlingit). Both creators draw upon their respective cultural traditions to inform their work, which is explained in the back matter.

Ages: 4-8

"I loved you before I met you.
Before I held you in my arms,
I sang you down from the stars."

An Inniniwak mother prepares for the arrival of her baby by gathering a sacred bundle of cedar and sage, a river stone, an eagle feather, and a star quilt. Goade uses a "swoosh" filled with tiny stars to show the flow of energy around the mother and between her and the baby.

A beautiful, meditative story, perfect for new parents of any heritage, or to share between children and parents.

Back matter includes a note from the author and a note from the artist (Goade is Tlingit).

See also: Nine Months by Miranda Paul and Jason Chin, World So Wide by Alison McGee and Kate Alizadeh

In an ode to her new baby, a mother collects meaningful items for a medicine bag and connects the new child to their heritage and the land. I'm not sure how much actual children would enjoy this (as it's in the same strain as *many* new baby books that seem to be expressly for the baby shower gift market), but the illustrations are beautiful with lots of detail and the cadence is soothing.

A beautiful story from a mother to her soon-to-be-born child about how she waited and how she planned for this little one. My favorite note from the artist "Motherhood is a culturally universal experience. i wanted to speak to many yet also honor Tasha and her Inniniwak heritage."