Zoe learning the syilx (Okanagan) names of the animals she encounters is so utterly charming and the illustrations by Julie Flett are naturalistic, simple, and perfect. ( )

I always enjoy Julie Flett's illustrations. I wish this book had included a pronunciation guide, though, since the syilx words are not easy (if even possible) for an English speaker to sound out. ( )

Zoe and her father see a fawn, and go looking for its mother. They see a bird, a rabbit, and a trout, but no deer - until they come back to the fawn, and find the mother by its side. The animal words are presented in syilx (Okanagan) as well as English.

See also: Little Owl Lost; Are You My Mother? ( )

Zoe and the Fawn by Catherine Jameson and Julie Flett is a gentle, loving tale akin to the famous Are You My Mother?. When Zoe and her dad are out doing chores they see a baby fawn asleep under and aspen tree which sparks a hunt for the fawn’s mother. Meeting many other animals along the way, we not only learn their English names but also their syilx (Okanagan) names.

Catherine Jameson’s choice to use repetitive text and to share with us, through the help of traditional knowledge/language specialist Richard Armstrong, the syilx language she is helping to preserve the language for future generations and provide them with representation. After a few readings your child will be able to join in the telling of the story thanks to the repetition and the gentle flow of the story. The incredible Julie Flett lends her unique artistic touch to this story weaving in her beautiful illustrations to guide the story back to the beginning ( )

When Zoe and her father encounter a spotted sk̓ʷək̓ʷƛ̓il̓t (fawn), the young Okanagan girl wonders where the little animal's mother is. Together, as she and her father go for a walk, she questions whether each animal she sees - a kʷəlkʷəlʕakn (flicker), a kʷəlkʷyumʔ spəplinaʔ (rabbit), and a xʷumina (trout) - is the fawn's mother, always receiving a negative reply. Eventually, returning to aspen where they saw the fawn, they see that its mother has returned...

Originally published in 2006 in softcover, and then reprinted with new cover art this year (2019), Zoe and the Fawn is a book I have long wanted to track down, given my fondness for the artwork of illustrator Julie Flett. The publisher, British Columbia-based Thetus Books, is native owned, and specializes in titles featuring the native cultures of that part of Canada. The story here is simple, sometimes almost too much so - I had trouble suspending my disbelief, when it came to the idea that a child like Zoe would actually think a rabbit or trout was the fawn's mother - but is structured in a question-answer style that will most likely work very well with younger children. The artwork is really lovely, with beautifully stylized figures, a lovely, subtle color palette, and plenty of white space on the page. Recommended to fans of the artist, and to anyone seeking picture-books introducing some Okanagan/Syilx words. ( )