What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?
by Richard Van Camp & George Littlechild
Description:
Publisher's description (Children's Book Press, 2003/1998):
Author Richard Van Camp has always been curious about horses. He is a member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation, a Native North American tribe that uses dogs instead of horses, because it's too cold for them up in Canada! One wintry day, he decides to do some investigating. Our friendly guide invites us to accompany him on his playful search for the most beautiful thing about horses. He asks his family, his friends, and even the artist, George Littlechild, what is the most beautiful thing they know about horses. The answers he gets range from zany to profound, and show him that even seemingly ordinary things can be seen in entirely new ways.
Author/Creator's biography (Children's Book Press):
Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib Nation from Fort Smith from the Northwest Territories, Canada. He is a graduate of the University of Victoria and the En'owkin International School of Writing. He is the winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award for Short Story Fiction.
Illustrator biography (Strong Nations, 2023):
George Littlechild is Plains Cree, born in Alberta, Canada. His extensive body of art is noted for its bold colours and playful images, belying the serious undertones of his work. Littlechild sees himself as an Artist who happens to be First Nations. His sweeping collages of mixed media offer us insight into the human spirit, the strong connection to our ancestors, the ways in which we view our world ... and how that view needs to change.
Resource format: Picturebook
Age recommendation: Grade 1 - 5
Keywords: perspective, horses, Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation, family, winter, cree, seasons, identity, culture, cultural identity, community, knowledge keeper, elder, tradition, Animal/Biodiversity/Plant Adaptations, Animals, Art, Environment/Nature, Families, Gratitude, Identity/Self Esteem/Confidence, Interest, Nature/Science, Optimism/Enthusiasm, Pride
Year of publication: 2003/1998
Publisher information: Children's Book Press
Teaching and Learning Ideas
Our team collaborated with new teachers, alumni of the Werklund School of Education’s Bachelor of Education program, to create teaching and learning plans for texts in this website. With audiences ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to Post-Secondary, lesson plans across this resource address a wide range of school subject areas, inclusive approaches, and Indigenous education topics, such as the revitalization of Indigenous languages. As this website was designed with Undergraduate Programs in Education instructors, as well as teachers in mind, connections to UPE courses have been flagged on each lesson plan. These lessons are intended as a starting place for educators, to help you envision ways in which you might bring Indigenous literatures, as well as ways of knowing, being, and doing, into your teaching contexts. Please adapt, use, and share these lessons in ways that are generative for your teaching practice. We offer our sincere thanks to the dozens of new teachers who gifted us with these creative ideas!
What's the most beautiful thing you know about horses? Grade 2 Lesson