To the Gitxsan of Northwestern British Columbia, Nox Ga’naaw is a storyteller, speaking truths of the universe. After Nox Ga’naaw, the frog mother, releases her eggs among the aquatic plants of a pond, the tiny tadpoles are left to fend for themselves. As they hatch, grow legs, and transform into their adult selves, they must avoid the mouths of hungry predators. Will the young frogs survive to spawn their own eggs, continuing a cycle 200 million years in the making?

Book four of the Mothers of Xsan series follows the life cycle of the columbia spotted frog. Learn about why this species is of special significance to the Gitxsan and how Nox Ga'naaw and her offspring are essential to the balance that is life.

Prizes

Short-listed for Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher 2022 (Canada),Long-listed for First Nation Communities READ 2022 (Canada)

In his engaging book, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw enhances plain biological facts by putting them in their cultural context; for example, the Frog Mother reflects the Gitxsan Nation’s matrilineal system. Donovan provides wonderfully sinuous illustrations that deftly capture frog movement and utilize color.

Among Loanstars Junior Top 10 Picks

Readers are treated to an exploration of both the life cycle of frogs and, in particular, the role that frog mothers play in the lives of their offspring with the help of Donovan’s breathtaking illustrations.

Highly recommended. Every school library in Canada should own copies of this remarkable series. Parents will enjoy reading them with kids at home.

Among CBC Books 28 Canadian middle-grade books we are excited to read in spring 2021

The biological and ecological knowledge is skillfully intertwined with the traditional and contemporary lives of the Gitxsan. The artwork is exemplary. It works with the text not only to illustrate but to add layers of meaning and connections.

Highly recommended.

Among Bank Street College of Education's The Best Children's Books of the Year (2022 edition)

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