Otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is a Cherokee word that is used to express gratitude. Otsaliheliga is a reminder to celebrate blessings and reflect on struggles. This picture book follows a year of Cherokee celebrations, starting in fall and ending in summer. Seasonal events pictured include playing in the leaves, dancing at the Great New Moon Ceremony, making corn husk dolls, gathering wild onions, and planting strawberries.
Available in a traditional picture book format from the library, as well as eBook and eReadalong formats from OverDrive, I highly recommend checking out the readalong version. Hearing the words read by the author and additional narration from voices that represent the multigenerational family from the book is very special. The narration also includes background sounds like a woodpecker, a running river, a dog barking, the wind in the trees, and drums. The back matter of the book provides definitions, an author's note, and the Cherokee Syllabary.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga is a 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award (AILA) honor book and a 2019 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner.
Take the Read Native 2021 reading challenge provided by the American Indian Library Association, and enjoy these and other books by Indigenous authors and illustrators.