Metis children's author David Bouchard, whose previous bi-lingual picture-books include Nokum Is My Teacher and The Drum Calls Softly - both of which feature text and CD narration in English and Cree - here turns his attention to the Mi'kmaq people. Teaming up with co-author Pam Aleekuk, also Metis, Bouchard delivers another poetic meditation on an important aspect of First Nations life: the powwow.

A child remembers her mother in Long Powwow Nights, her joy in fancy-dancing, and the mystery and meaning of the dancers and their traditional regalia: "Meegwetch mystic dancers - dark Ravens you were... / Tricksters - magicians - to most a mere blur / To me you were everything I was to be / Like my loving mother, I longed to be free..." The English narrative is paired with a Mi'kmaq translation, done by Patsy Paul-Martin (which information is only to be found on the colophon), and both versions can be heard on the accompanying CD, which also contains music by singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie.

The beautiful illustrations by Mi'kmaq artist Leonard Paul are immensely striking, and I found the portraits of the woman dancer in profile (the mother, I assume?), particularly lovely. The depictions of the male dancers, in full regalia and facial decoration, have real power - it is easy to see why the narrator would think them tricksters or magicians. All in all, this a very satisfactory book and CD, that should be most welcome to young readers interested in the Mi'kmaq people and language. As someone with an interest in linguistic diversity, I'm really happy to see the proliferation of these bilingual titles. There need to be more of them! ( )