“Boom-boom. Shuffle-shuffle.” Raven loves taking part in round dances, holding his grandma’s hand as “round and round they go” with other members of their Indigenous community. Raven especially admires the vibrant ribbon skirts worn by girls and women. Many of them were sewn by his grandmother, the colors carefully chosen for each individual. “Like people, no two skirts are the same.” One day, Raven ventures to ask his grandmother whether a boy could wear a ribbon skirt. Nokhum squeezes her grandson’s hand, pauses, and answers honestly. “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim, and have never seen a boy in a ribbon skirt.” As Raven sleeps that night, Nohkum is hard at work at her sewing machine; the next morning, she rouses Raven to present him with “the most beautiful rainbow. His very own ribbon skirt.” “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim,” she says, “and I’m lucky to see beautiful things that I’ve never seen before.” At the next round dance, Raven is the first to hit the dance floor, proudly “leading the way” in his new ribbon skirt. As stated in the Author’s Note, this gentle story of belonging and acceptance “honors the imperative of prioritizing our people over rigid cultural protocols.” The loving relationship between grandmother and grandson is clear. Raven trusts Nohkum to see his whole, unique self, and Nohkum thoughtfully makes space for him. Soft acrylic paintings depict colorful ribbons flowing through Nohkum’s skilled hands, connecting individuals through a shared dance. (Ages 4-9)

★ "Spillett captures the joy of the round dance, and a feeling of belonging and connection offered in intergenerational Indigenous community."​ --Publishers Weekly, starred review



★ "Simple and tender." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review



From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Spillett and illustrator Daniel Ramirez comes a joyous intergenerational celebration of gender self-expression and acceptance through an Indigenous lens.

Raven loves Round Dances. The drums sing to the people. The people dance to the music. Raven's favorite part is to watch the ribbon skirts, swirling like a rainbow. He wishes he could have a ribbon skirt of his own, but his grandmother has never seen a boy wearing one. Until the next round dance, when it turns out that even someone who has lived a long time can see wonderful things that they've never seen before.



In the spirit of beloved books like Julián is a Mermaid, here is a moving intergenerational story celebrating identity, self-expression, and the realization that even within our traditions, there is room for beautiful reinvention.