Milestone Monday
Happy World Kindness Day! Observed annually on November 13th, World Kindness Day encourages us to set aside our differences and focus on recognizing and participating in good deeds and kindness throughout our communities. In recognition of the day, we are sharing You Hold Me Up Gimanaadenim written in English by Cree author Monique Gray Smith with illustrations by Canadian First Nations author and artist Danielle Daniel, and translated to Anishinaabemowin by two UW-Milwaukee-associated Ojibwe-language specialists Angela Mesic and Margaret Noodin.Â
While You Hold Me Up Gimanaadenim was written to inspire children to show each other love and support, the lessons are applicable at any stage in life. Gray Smith writes that the book was written in the “spirit of Reconciliation”, coupled with Daniel’s vibrant illustrations it successfully demonstrates how to be more empathetic and build loving relationships. Â
You Hold Me Up was published in English in 2017 and met with many accolades including the 2017 American Indians in Children’s Literature Best Books award and 2018 Global Read Aloud award. It went on to be translated to Anishinaabemowin in 2021. Both versions were published by Orca Book Publishers out of British Columbia who notes that the translation “has been done according to more western conventions used by speakers of Anishinaabemowin. . . and matches the lexicon found in the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary.”Â
View other Milestone Monday posts.
– Jenna, Special Collections Graduate InternÂ














