For a Girl Becoming

Transformative moments in the cycle of life are a time for acknowledgment, a chance to guide a child’s path in a positive and loving direction.

Swirling images laden with both myth and personal meaning illustrate this unique, poetic tale of the joys and lessons of a girl’s journey through birth, youth, and finally adulthood. Within these colorful pages, family and community come together in celebration of her arrival, offering praise, love, and advice to help carry her forward through the many milestones to come, and reminding her always of how deeply she is cherished. It is a reminder, too, of our abiding connections to the natural world, and the cyclical nature of life as a whole.

With its rich, symbolic artwork and captivating language, For a Girl Becoming is the perfect gift to recognize a birth, graduation, or any other significant moment in a young woman’s life. Not only for children, this lively and touching story speaks to that part in each of us who still stands at the door of becoming.

"Always within you is that day your spirit came to us.

When rains came in from the Pacific to bless.

Clouds peered over the mountains

in response to the singing of medicine plants,

who danced back and forth in shawls of mist."

Transformative moments in the cycle of life are a time for acknowledgment, a chance to guide a child's path in a positive and loving direction.

Swirling images laden with both myth and personal meaning illustrate this unique, poetic tale of the joys and lessons of a girl's journey through birth, youth, and finally adulthood. Within these colorful pages, family and community come together in celebration of her arrival, offering praise, love, and advice to help carry her forward through the many milestones to come, and reminding her always of how deeply she is cherished. It is a reminder, too, of our abiding connections to the natural world, and the cyclical nature of life as a whole.

With its rich, symbolic artwork and captivating language, For a Girl Becoming is the perfect gift to recognize a birth, graduation, or any other significant moment in a young woman's life. Not only for children, this lively and touching story speaks to that part in each of us who still stands at the door of becoming.

Children's Literature

This striking book captures life advice, living wisdom and spiritual affirmations in a paean to the value of individual life, particularly that of a young girl growing into her womanhood. Welcomed into life with unconditional love by both sides of her Native American family, the story of her birth is described with reassuring words of the blessings that were part of her first day in this world, the day "rains came in from the Pacific to bless." The language of the book is often deceptively simple and underscores the strength of the feelings expressed, such as "We want you to know that we urgently gathered to welcome you here." Other sentiments are expressed with the same ardor and intensity as the girl child grows older and faces the same challenges all people encounter. Still, this young woman always has the underlying knowledge that her family is there "because [she is] one of us." The family ties are extremely important, and it is the family's duty to teach her the ways of good living with advice such as: "Give a drink of water to all who ask, whether they be plant, creature, human, of helpful spirit. May you always have clean, fresh water." The illustrations reflect the ethereal sentiments of the book. Lots of vivid colors and swirls of things almost unseen are depicted. Many of the pictures have multiple images that unite to form an overall impression of the scene, rather than show an exact presentation of the unity of the family and its interaction with natural forces. After her family members share with her all of their experiential wisdom, the young woman is reminded of her own birth with words from the opening of the book and simply reminded: "And you are here to bless." Thisis a very thoughtful way to look at what it means to come into adulthood with a strong foundation of wisdom and love from the important people in one's life and to be reminded that one must live reflecting that same wisdom and love. Highly recommended for purchase by libraries and as a special gift for females of all ages. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan

Joy Harjo (Mvskoke/Creek) is an internationally known poet, writer, and musician. She has published seven books of poetry and the children's book The Good Luck Cat.

With a style characterized by vivid color and large pastel figures, Mercedes McDonald has done work for a variety of commercial clients as well as the children's book Hello Night/Hola Noche by Amy Costales.