I Lost My Talk

Rita Joe

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ISBN: 9781774710050

I Lost My Talk

  Author:   Rita Joe  
  Artist :   Pauline Young    
  Publisher:  Nimbus Publishing Limited

Rita Joe’s powerful poem is presented anew in this children’s picture book with illustrations from Pauline Young. A story of recovering what was lost in residential school, I Lost My Talk will raise conversation about language as a vehicle for truth and reconciliation. Published simultaneously with the companion book I’m Finding My Talk.

I lost my talk
The talk you took away
When I was a little girl
At Shubenacadie school.

One of Rita Joe’s most influential poems, “I Lost My Talk” tells the revered Mi’kmaw Elder’s childhood story of losing her language while a resident of the residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. An often quoted piece in this era of truth and reconciliation, Joe’s powerful words explore and celebrate the survival of Mi’kmaw culture and language despite its attempted eradication.

A companion book to the simultaneously published I’m Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas, I Lost My Talk is a necessary reminder of a dark chapter in Canada’s history, a powerful reading experience, and an effective teaching tool for young readers of all cultures and backgrounds. Includes a biography of Rita Joe and striking colour illustrations by Mi’kmaw artist Pauline Young.

Details and Specs
ISBN associated with this title: 9781774710050
Item NB1589
PublisherNimbus Publishing Limited
PublisherNimbus Publishing Limited
Published on March 8 2021
Language eng
Pages 32
Format Paperback
Dimensions10(in) x 8(in)
Shipping weight151(g)
Status ACTIVE TITLE
Born in poverty on a reserve in Cape Breton, Rita Joe survived on sheer guts and compassion.

Pauline Young is a visual artist who was first exposed to the creative world through her father, Phillip Young, an internationally renowned artist, who painted the bottoms of her feet. She still recalls the smooth sensation of paint oozing between her toes. She draws her inspiration from him and the natural environment and is always looking down to see what the ground can offer, such as incorporating beach sand and red oxide sand into her paintings.

Quick Quotes

"This picture book version of I Lost My Talk is best read with Rebecca Thomas's I'm Finding My Talk. These haunting, evocative books bring an original approach to the exploration of Canadian residential schools in picture books. For readers and teachers who appreciate fact-based information, there is also "A Short History of Residential Schools" at the end of I Lost My Talk. Educators, librarians, and families will find their classrooms and book collections invaluably enriched by these books. They are real tools of truth and reconciliation; as such, they belong on every bookshelf in Canada and beyond." —Canadian Review of Materials (Winnipeg, MB)
  

Award Winners & Nominees


APMA Best Atlantic-Published Book Award

Long listed First Nation Communities READ Awards