For a Girl Becoming
By Joy Harjo; Illustrated by Mercedes McDonald
SERIES:
The University of Arizona Press
Transformative moments in the cycle of life are a time for acknowledgment, a chance to guide a child’s path in a positive and loving direction.
Swirling images laden with both myth and personal meaning illustrate this unique, poetic tale of the joys and lessons of a girl’s journey through birth, youth, and finally adulthood. Within these colorful pages, family and community come together in celebration of her arrival, offering praise, love, and advice to help carry her forward through the many milestones to come, and reminding her always of how deeply she is cherished. It is a reminder, too, of our abiding connections to the natural world, and the cyclical nature of life as a whole.
With its rich, symbolic artwork and captivating language, For a Girl Becoming is the perfect gift to recognize a birth, graduation, or any other significant moment in a young woman’s life. Not only for children, this lively and touching story speaks to that part in each of us who still stands at the door of becoming.
Swirling images laden with both myth and personal meaning illustrate this unique, poetic tale of the joys and lessons of a girl’s journey through birth, youth, and finally adulthood. Within these colorful pages, family and community come together in celebration of her arrival, offering praise, love, and advice to help carry her forward through the many milestones to come, and reminding her always of how deeply she is cherished. It is a reminder, too, of our abiding connections to the natural world, and the cyclical nature of life as a whole.
With its rich, symbolic artwork and captivating language, For a Girl Becoming is the perfect gift to recognize a birth, graduation, or any other significant moment in a young woman’s life. Not only for children, this lively and touching story speaks to that part in each of us who still stands at the door of becoming.
Silver Medal, Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, Multicultural Picture Book
Winner, Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award (Oklahoma Center for the Book)
‘This is a blessing to bestow on all of the young women in our lives. With Joy Harjo’s words, ‘As you travel with us,’ the road opens, and the journey promises to be lined with help—and love.’—Debra Frasier, author and illustrator of On the Day You Were Born
Joy Harjo (Mvskoke/Creek) is an internationally known poet, writer, and musician. She has published seven books of poetry and the children’s book The Good Luck Cat. With a style characterized by vivid color and large pastel figures, Mercedes McDonald has done work for a variety of commercial clients as well as the children’s book Hello Night/Hola Noche by Amy Costales.
