Musqon and her grandmother, whom she calls Uhkomi, arrive at the salt marsh to pick sweetgrass, which their family has done for generations. Sweetgrass, or welimahaskil in the Passamaquoddy-Maliseet language, is used in ceremony and to make baskets. Uhkomi tells Musqon how to identify sweetgrass among the other types of grass in the marsh. Musqon has trouble finding it at first and picks the wrong type of grass. Uhkomi gently reminds her that her ancestors are there to guide her, and soon Musqon smells sweetgrass and learns to spot the emerald green of its blade. As her grandmother instructed, she does not pick the first piece she sees; that way, they will never pick the last one. As the story ends, Musqon thinks that perhaps next year she’ll teach her little sister how to pick sweetgrass. The muted illustrations, done mostly in earth tones and greens on brown paper, are an excellent match for the quiet story. (Ages 4-7)

Selected for the Notable Social Studies 2022 List

Named to ALA Notable Children's Books 2022

In this Own Voices Native American picture book story, a modern Wabanaki girl is excited to accompany her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making.

Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, but slowly the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations. This sweet, authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.