Nimoshom and His Bus

January 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Nimoshom means "my grandfather" in Cree. The narrator tells readers about her grandfather's experience as a school bus driver and his interactions with the children he saw every day. Each spread teaches a word or two of Cree as greetings, observations about the day, gentle scoldings, and storytelling, within the context of the story . "In the morning, nimoshom would greet the kids. He would say: 'Tansi!' Tansi means hello." It is obvious that the narrator's grandfather loved driving a bus and the children loved him. The penultimate spread explains that some Cree don't say goodbye, and that, "Nimoshom was one of them." Instead they say "Ekosi," which which has many meaning, including "okay, that's it, or amen." Despite the use of past tense throughout the book, the final spread still resonates emotionally as readers realize that these are memories. "Nimoshom was a good man. Ekosi." The tender story is accompanied by soft watercolor washes dominated by blues, grays, and school-bus yellow. The loose style is well suited to the reminiscent tone of the text while firmly asserting the modern day setting. There is a list of Cree words at the end of the story but no pronunciation guide is provided; however, that shouldn't discourage non-Cree speakers from enjoying this sweet story. VERDICT Part language primer, part loving tribute, this picture book adds up to a lovely addition for most library collections.-Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Nimoshom ("my grandfather") is a beloved school bus driver who sometimes speaks in Cree. A brief text about his daily routine incorporates Cree words. "In the morning, �cf2]nimoshom�cf1] would greet the kids. He would say: 'Tansi!' �cf2]Tansi�cf1] means hello." The story's rhythmic pacing and conversational quality makes for an enjoyable read-aloud experience. Loose, expressive mixed-media illustrations capture the warm relationship between nimoshom and the children. Glos.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2018
Nimoshom ( my grandfather ) is a beloved school bus driver who sometimes speaks in Cree. In this concise and tender book, Thomas and Hibbard use a loving portrait of nimoshom as a way to introduce basic Cree vocabulary. Each double-page spread follows a similar pattern: a short sentence or two about nimoshom's daily bus routine that incorporates a word in Cree, followed by an explanation of the vocabulary. In the morning, nimoshom would greet the kids. He would say: ?Tansi!' Tansi means hello. The Cree words are distinguished by bold red font and their meanings by bold black font. This repetition gives the story a rhythmic pacing and a conversational quality that makes for an enjoyable read-aloud experience. Hibbard's loose, expressive mixed-media illustrations capture the warm relationship between nimoshom and the children, particularly in one touching spread that shows nimoshom, wearing his signature outfit (plaid shirt, vest, and brown cap), surrounded by youngsters as he tells them stories. It's clear that while the children are on their way to school to learn, their daily ride with nimoshom is an important education in itself. Appended with a glossary of Cree words. minh l�

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)