Enjoy the seasons from an Indigenous perspective: Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?

Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the Seasons, by Tyna Legault Taylor/Illustrated by Michelle Dao, (May 2025, Highwater Press), $18.95, ISBN: 9781774921227

Ages 5-8

Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint? celebrates the relationship between humans and the land as a First Nations child and his family move through the seasons. Told in three languages: English, Swampy Cree (n-dialect), and Anishinaabemowin, the story is narrated by Joshua, a young boy who revels in his relationship to the land; his favorite time of year being mint-gathering season. Josh and his dad spend time together in nature through Fall, Winter, and Spring; he drinks in the colors and feels of the surroundings of each time of year. In the Fall, he sees the leaves change color and animals prepare for the winter; in the Winter, the cottony snow brings the cold. In Spring, he sees the animals return and the land come back from a winter’s sleep, and in Summer, he feels the longer, warmer days and rejoices in the green around him. Each season he asks Dad if it’s time to gather the mint, and each time, his father describes what other work must be done: hunting moose and partridge in the Fall; ice fishing in the Winter; hunting geese and fishing for rainbow trout in the Spring. Finally, the Summer arrives, and with it, the time to gather mint! It’s a moving story of family and stewardship to our world. Vocabulary in Swampy Cree and Anishinaabemowin are color-coded in brown and green throughout, with English translations in the margins. Back matter includes a glossary and pronunciation guide along with a recipe for Mint from the Land Iced Tea, just like Joshua’s mother makes. A moving and important addition to season books for collections.

For more information and resources on the Swampy Cree, visit the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Center and the Swampy Cree Tribal Council. For information on the Ojibwe, who speak Anishinabemowin, visit the Minnesota Historical Society the Gladue Rights Research Database of Legal Aid Saskatchewan. Always check in with Debbie Reese’s American Indians in Children’s Literature website for recommendations on Indigenous creators and works.