Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa

Praise

♦ A single act of kindness has a ripple effect over generations.
In 1845, a young Irish girl pulls a rotting potato from the ground: “It is the beginning of the great hunger that changed Ireland.” This devastating news travels across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1847, the Choctaw people connect the dire situation in Ireland to their own plight during the Trail of Tears and decide to help by sending money. The Irish people don’t forget their generosity; in 2017, they honor the special friendship with a sculpture titled Kindred Spirits, created by Alex Pentek. During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the Irish reciprocate by collecting donations to aid the Choctaw, Navajo, and Hopi Nations. Widener (Choctaw Nation) vividly sets the stage with lyrical writing that appeals to the senses. Choctaw phrases such as “shilombish ittibachvffa” (“kindred spirits”) are sprinkled throughout. The author breaks up the narrative with illuminating sidebars that offer additional information about each crisis. Yazzie’s (Navajo Nation) folk art–esque illustrations pop with emotion and come alive from his vibrant use of color. No matter their historical background, readers will come away with a strong understanding of these topics—and deeply moved by the compassion demonstrated by the Irish and Choctaw communities. Backmatter, including a timeline, provides more historical context.
A richly detailed, phenomenally told true story about paying it forward through history.
—Shelf Awareness, starred review

♦ Leslie Stall Widener has numerous works to her credit as an illustrator, including Chukfi Rabbit’s Big, Bad Bellyache; she makes her debut as an author with this uplifting picture book about the power of empathy. Throughout this moving work of nonfiction, acts of compassion crisscross the ocean when people recognize their common humanity in each other’s struggles. Kindred Spirits is a compelling reminder of people’s potential to make a difference, regardless of how much or how little they have. Complementing Widener’s text is the enchanting acrylic paint artwork of Navajo painter, bronze sculptor, and illustrator Johnson Yazzie (Yossel’s Journey).

Widener here tells a true, pay-it-forward tale through poetry accompanied by sidebars with background details. Starting in Ireland in 1847, she recounts the famine that took the lives of more than a million people: “Farmers can’t explain why/ fields of healthy-looking plants/ changed overnight./ It is the beginning of the great hunger/ that changed Ireland.” Four thousand miles away, the people of the Choctaw Nation learn of the Irish tragedy: “Wrapped in the warmth of family,/ each Choctaw man, woman, and child listens./ They feel the pain of the Irish people.” Despite their own troubles, the Choctaw people donate a substantial sum of money to help the Irish farmers “in honor of the injustice/ suffered by both Nations./ Shilombish ittibachvffa./ Those who feel the same./ Kindred spirits.” Widener then brings her readers to the 21st century, as the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the Navajo and Hopi Nations. This time the people of Ireland reach out: “More than twenty-six thousand Irish people/ donate–many citing the Choctaw-Irish connection,/ honoring their ancestors/ and showing how one act of kindness can grow.”

A citizen of the Choctaw Nation herself, Widener relates this inspiring saga with reverence and beauty, constructing an accessible history for young readers that highlights the spectacular results of empathy and compassion. Yazzie’s art features striking, sometimes near-fluorescent colors and a multitude of textures. His figures are contained within a thick, black line often outlined by another, lighter color–white, orange, yellow–this acts to bring people forward in each illustration, focusing the eye on the humans.

The book offers additional information in the backmatter, including facts about the Trail of Tears and the Irish Potato Famine, as well as a timeline of events. While Kindred Spirits is intended for young readers, it is a gift for audiences of all ages and should be a staple in anyone’s library.

Shelf Talker: A member of the Choctaw Nation and a member of the Navajo Nation join forces in a stunning picture book that shares the uplifting story of how tragedy connected people from across an ocean.
—Shelf Awareness, starred review

Widener (a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) relates the emotional kinship between the Irish and the Choctaw, joined in their historical mistreatment, desperation, and kindness. In the 1840s, many Irish families scraped by on little potato farms, so when a fungus attacked the crop, the populace was devastated. The Choctaw sent Ireland $170, equivalent today to $5,000—a fortune for a people then recovering from the Trail of Tears, the misery of which is also described. When Native residents of the U.S. Southwest were badly hit by COVID-19, Irish people sent more than $3 million to the Navajo and Hopi in memory of the long-ago gift, and a related sculpture was built in Ireland. In this accessible, affecting book, large-font verse tells the tale of the gifts while smaller asides add context. Yazzie’s vivid artwork shows the two peoples’ lives, lands, and histories in what appears to be colored chalk on textured paper. Back matter includes a time line and sources. A compelling nonfiction read-aloud and a wonderful resource for history classes and SEL units.
—Booklist