When the Shadbush Blooms

Summary of Book

Today when a Lenape Indian girl ventures to the stream to fish for shad, she knows that another girl did the same generations before her. Through the cycle of the seasons, what is important has remained: being with family, knowing when berries are ripe for picking, listening to stories in a warm home. Told by Traditional Sister and Contemporary Sister, each from her own time, this is a book about tradition and about change. Then and now are not so very different when the shadbush blooms.

Author Biography

CARLA J. S. MESSINGER, Turtle Clan Lenape, is a cultural educator and the director of Native American Heritage Programs. She lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with her husband Allan and daughter Joy.

Illustrator Biography

DAVID KANIETAKERON FADDEN, Wolf Clan Mohawk, was born in Lake Placid, New York, and grew up in nearby Onchiota in a family of artists, naturalists, and storytellers. David's illustrations have appeared in books, periodicals, animations, and on television. He also works as the Museum Coordinator at the Native North American Travelling College and helps run his grandfather's museum, the Six Nations Indian Museum, during the summer months. David lives in Akwesasne, Ontario, Canada.