★ “This eloquent and insightful picture book…honors the enduring relationship between a child, their ancestors, and the land.”
— Booklist, starred review
In Tonya Simpson’s new picture, This Land is a Lullaby, the sounds of the land soothe an Indigenous child to sleep on a stormy summer night on the Plains. In this Q&A, hear from Tonya on what it was like to write this story and more.
What inspired you to write this story?
When I wrote This Land Is a Lullaby, my daughter was about six months old. There was something about having a little baby girl that made me so aware of the world around us. It was as though all of my senses were heightened, and I seemed to be so in tune with nature at that time. I remember rocking her to sleep on a summer afternoon and I could hear the sounds of the world around us. She seemed to coo back with the softest, sweetest sounds. That’s when I knew that I needed to write this lullaby for her.
What did your process for writing the book look like?
I started writing the lullaby by jotting notes about all of my favorite sounds associated with the animate and inanimate elements of a summer day. Certain parts seemed to naturally fit alongside others, but at some point they seemed to sort nicely by the time of day. After realizing this, I decided to have the energy build as the ancestors came to greet the baby during a late-night storm. After I committed to this idea, the rest just seemed to fall into place.
How did writing This Land Is a Lullaby differ from writing Forever Our Home?
Forever Our Home was my first children’s book, and it was adapted from a true lullaby that I sang to my son over, and over, and over. When I saw a post that Orca was accepting submissions, I thought I’d give it a try. Because the lullaby was my first submission ever accepted, it was so hard to change it to fit the format of a book. But when I began to write This Land Is a Lullaby, I knew that I wanted to write something for my daughter that could be adapted into a children’s book. For this reason, I structured it in a format that I knew would translate well.
Do you have a favorite illustration or section of the book?
Delreé Dumont is so talented, so it’s difficult to pick a favorite illustration! If I had to pick, I think that her illustration of the blue heron is so powerful, but the paintings of the dragonflies also resonate with me so strongly! Perhaps it’s the vibrant colors in both—but I also have beautiful memories watching these creatures growing up with such a wonder for their beauty.
What were some important messages or themes you wanted to highlight in the book?
For me, This Land Is a Lullaby is about two things: First, children are the most sacred gifts, and second, we are all connected in this delicate yet powerful way.
Your book is also available in a bilingual edition with Plains Cree and English. Was it important to you to have a bilingual version? And did knowing the book would be translated affect your writing process at all?
It was very important for me to have a bilingual version of this book because I grew up only knowing very few Cree words and simple phrases. To be able to begin my journey of learning more of my language with the help of a Cree translation of my own song is so phenomenal. Knowing the book would be translated didn’t affect my writing process, but only because I am so naïve about the translation process.
What main takeaways do you hope for readers after they finish your book?
I hope that after reading my book with their little ones, families feel a strong connection to the world around them. I hope that the lullaby encourages parents to instill a sense of wonder, respect, stewardship and appreciation for this world that we are so fortunate to live within.
What’s next for you? Do you have any other books in the works?
I currently have two children’s books in the works. I was inspired by Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and I wrote two playful books in a similar spirit which will be published in these next few years. These books are based on some key aspects of the relationships between my growing children and their aging grandparents. I have also been dabbling in writing adult fiction, but this project is in the very early stages!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
The only other thing I’d like to add is that I am so grateful for the team at Orca. Because of Orca, I have been able to rediscover the creative part of myself that was lost to academia, adulthood and the rat race! By working on these books, and by experimenting with adult fiction, I’ve now come to see writing as a need rather than a luxury. Getting back into writing over these past few years has been almost like coming home. Thank you, Orca!
Tonya Simpson is of Scottish and Cree ancestry. She is a member of Pasqua First Nation and was born and raised in central Alberta. Tonya completed the MA program in anthropology at the University of Alberta and now works as a research assistant. Her first picture book, Forever Our Home, introduces readers to the animals and plants of the Prairies and the Plains. Tonya lives with her family at Pigeon Lake in Westerose, Alberta. Photo by Katherine Mayne Correia.