Two Tricksters Find Friendship is a year in the life of a new mutually supportive friendship between Jessie, a white girl, and Johnny, an Indigenous boy.
Two Tricksters Find Friendship
Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows
Orca Book Publishers
Recommended for ages 6 to 8
first book of a series
2025
Jessie is new to the island. Her family moved there after her father became the new fire chief. Johnny lives on the reserve, and Jessie meets him in the summer when she is beachcombing. They bond over their love of nature and mutual interest in the Indigenous culture. When Jessie finds a feather, Johnny identifies it as a raven feather. Inspired by their mutual apprehension about returning to school after the summer break, Johnny invites Jessie to participate in a smudging ceremony, an Indigenous healing ritual. The friends are guided through their year of discovery by Jessie's aunt Chris and elders Grannie Annie and Steven.
In June, during the National Indigenous Peoples Day ceremony, Steven gives a short speech...
"'Johnny and Jessie clearly demonstrated support, caring, friendship and the importance of listening to each other. I've witnessed these two friends work through challenging times with love and respect.'" (p. 84-85)
He's clearly proud of the friendship Johnny and Jessie have begun to build.
Two Tricksters Find Friendship is a cleverly written book. Authors Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows employ various techniques to bring the reader into the story, such as engaging the reader's sense of sound, sight, smell, and taste. Choosing to have the main characters walk into the story is an inviting way to begin the story. Additionally, Aitken and Willows have left threads throughout this story that they can use to recast and knit another installment to this series.
Illustrator Alyssa Koshi has significantly enhanced reader engagement. I loved searching for Raven on the pages of this book. Mayne Islanders will appreciate seeing Johnny and Jessie in front of "our" welcoming figure.
Huy ch q'u, Johnny, Jess and Alyssa for this finely crafted book.
On this blog in June...
Sunday, June 29
My fingers
on my keyboard
My head
in the clouds
I relish
my days
