Leslie Stall Widener has numerous works to her credit as an illustrator, including Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache; she makes her debut as an author with this uplifting picture book about the power of empathy. Throughout this moving work of nonfiction, acts of compassion crisscross the ocean when people recognize their common humanity in each other's struggles. Kindred Spirits is a compelling reminder of people's potential to make a difference, regardless of how much or how little they have. Complementing Widener's text is the enchanting acrylic paint artwork of Navajo painter, bronze sculptor, and illustrator Johnson Yazzie (Yossel's Journey).
Widener here tells a true, pay-it-forward tale through poetry accompanied by sidebars with background details. Starting in Ireland in 1847, she recounts the famine that took the lives of more than a million people: "Farmers can't explain why/ fields of healthy-looking plants/ changed overnight./ It is the beginning of the great hunger/ that changed Ireland." Four thousand miles away, the people of the Choctaw Nation learn of the Irish tragedy: "Wrapped in the warmth of family,/ each Choctaw man, woman, and child listens./ They feel the pain of the Irish people." Despite their own troubles, the Choctaw people donate a substantial sum of money to help the Irish farmers "in honor of the injustice/ suffered by both Nations./ Shilombish ittibachvffa./ Those who feel the same./ Kindred spirits." Widener then brings her readers to the 21st century, as the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the Navajo and Hopi Nations. This time the people of Ireland reach out: "More than twenty-six thousand Irish people/ donate--many citing the Choctaw-Irish connection,/ honoring their ancestors/ and showing how one act of kindness can grow."
A citizen of the Choctaw Nation herself, Widener relates this inspiring saga with reverence and beauty, constructing an accessible history for young readers that highlights the spectacular results of empathy and compassion. Yazzie's art features striking, sometimes near-fluorescent colors and a multitude of textures. His figures are contained within a thick, black line often outlined by another, lighter color--white, orange, yellow--this acts to bring people forward in each illustration, focusing the eye on the humans.
The book offers additional information in the backmatter, including facts about the Trail of Tears and the Irish Potato Famine, as well as a timeline of events. While Kindred Spirits is intended for young readers, it is a gift for audiences of all ages and should be a staple in anyone's library. --Jen Forbus, freelancer
Shelf Talker: A member of the Choctaw Nation and a member of the Navajo Nation join forces in a stunning picture book that shares the uplifting story of how tragedy connected people from across an ocean.