AudioFile Reviews
This ode to the berry-rich land by Tlingit author and Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade finds its ideal narrator in Erin Tripp, who is Ling't Deisheetaan. Tripp's skill with the Tlingit language is matched by her feeling for the ebb and flow of Goade's English text. The audiobook opens with a recitation of the many different berries of Sitka, Alaska, in both Ling't and English and closes with Tripp's reading of the author's note, which describes the importance of berries and the land they grow on to her culture. In between, a child and grandmother go berrying, Tripp's voice cradling each word. The English names of the berries become a quietly prayerful refrain, punctuating the lyrical account and emphasizing both the land's profound bounty and the characters' respect for it. Sumptuous. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
School Library Journal Reviews
PreS-Gr 1—Goade, who was awarded the 2021 Caldecott Medal for We Are Water Protectors, received a 2023 Caldecott Honor for Berry Song—the audio follows almost a year later, synergistically narrated by Tripp who shares Goade's native Alaskan Tlingit heritage. Tripp opens with a rhythmic bilingual Tlingit/English recitation of various berries, followed by Goade's "Note to the Forager," offering sage advice to avoid toxic look-alikes. "On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, Grandma shows me how to live on the land," Tripp softly speaks over a soothing string-and-keyboard soundtrack. She maintains a tender tone, creating a blanketing welcome into a symbiotic world: "We take care of the land/ As the land takes care of us." Just as Goade is "spellbound by the magic and joy of berry song," so, too, will audiences be enthralled. VERDICT Once again, Goade's stupendous art is a must-see; parallel listening and reading is highly recommended.
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