Book two in the award-winning Mothers of Xsan series, The Grizzly Mother uses striking illustration and lyrical language to bring the poetry of the Xsan ecosystem to life.

To the Gitxsan people of Northwestern British Columbia, the grizzly is an integral part of the natural landscape. Together, they share the land and forests that the Skeena River runs through, as well as the sockeye salmon within it. Follow mother bear as she teaches her cubs what they need to survive on their own.

Prizes

Winner of Manuela Dias Design and Illustration Awards, Children's Illustration 2020 (Canada),Winner of Animal Behavior Society's Outstanding Children's Book Award 2020 (United States),Short-listed for McNally Robinson Book for Young People 2020 (Canada)

★ Anchored in the culture of the Gitxsan Nation, this spellbinding account of a grizzly bear’s first few years with her cubs is the second title in the Mothers of Xsan series. Saturated with ocher hues and expressively detailed with black line, Donovan’s illustrations amplify the text’s lyricism with nuanced perspectives. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
A lyrically poetic text, it delivers a wealth of information on the lives of grizzlies and the ecosystem they are part of, making this an invaluable introduction to the way we are all connected. -- Jeffrey Canton * The Globe and Mail *
Teachers! Get The Grizzly Mother for your classroom--and ask your librarian to get it on the library shelves, too! I highly recommend The Sockeye Mother and The Grizzly Mother published by HighWater Press. They are pitched at children in grades 5-7 but I think they can be used with younger children. And of course, picture books should be used with people of any age. Highly recommended! -- Debbie Reese * American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) *
Selected for the 2020 Outstanding International Books List * The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) *
This is a gorgeous book. Recommended. * School Library Journal *
Selected as Middle Honor Book for the American Indian Youth Literature Award * American Indian Library Association *
Selected for the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2019 reading list, Informational Books for Older Readers * Chicago Public Library *

Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson (he/him/his), is an award-winning storyteller and artist from the Gitxsan Nation in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Having grown up in this strong matrilineal society, he is passionate about his people's land and way of life. Brett’s vision to share the knowledge, stories, and worlds of the Gitxsan was the inspiration behind his award-winning Mothers of Xsan series. He is also a Research Associate at the Prairie Climate Centre, where he is developing new methods to bridge the gap between Indigenous knowledges and western sciences. With the support of his wife, Jeri, and their children, Warren and Ruby, Brett endeavours to continue sharing stories through writing, art, and photography. Natasha Donovan (she/her/hers) is a Métis illustrator originally from Vancouver, British Columbia. Her sequential work has been published in This Place: 150 Years Retold and Wonderful Women of History. She is the illustrator of the award-winning Surviving the City graphic novel series and Mothers of Xsan children's book series, as well as Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer and the forthcoming A Good Hide by Karina Iceberg. She lives on an island in British Columbia with her family. @natashamdonovan