Every Ingredient in Our Ancestors' Kitchen by Willie Poll Thrums With Meaning and Tradition

Métis activist and storyteller Willie Poll has deep connections to her community and traditions, all of which is on full display in a beautiful new picture book from the author. Poll's poetic voice is joined by bright illustrations from Shaikara David, further immersing young readers in the story.

The featured book is aptly titled Our Ancestors' Kitchen (Annick Press), where the young protagonist in the story finds herself alongside her grandfather as they prepare a special dish. Every part of the dish is crucial, and as readers learn about everything that goes into this meal, they are also taken to the moment where each ingredient is gathered or harvested in traditional ways.

This joyous work also includes an author’s note on traditional harvesting practices and a recipe for Nuwish, lending another layer of depth to the practices shown with such care and meaning in these pages. 

We're very happy to share this Kid's Club BFYP interview with the author, right here in a special Saturday post on Open Book!

Open Book:

Tell us about your new book and how it came to be.

Willie Poll:

My new book is called Our Ancestors’ Kitchen and it was inspired by my own relationship with food. I have been so blessed to live in different Nations and learn about different cultures and their connection to the land and waters that nourish us. From picking wild potatoes in the Chilcotin to caribou hunting in the Yukon, I’m so grateful to have learned about food sovereignty and the colonization of food systems – and it was these moments that really inspired the story. 

OB: 

Is there a message you hope kids might take away from reading your book? 

WP:

I want kids to begin to question where the food they eat comes from and what their relationship with food is. I personally struggled with my relationship to food and it took many years for me to see food as this beautiful thing that brought people together, connected me to my culture and ancestors, and nourished my body. I want kids to know that right from day one! I want them to feel connected to what they’re eating and to know that mother earth takes care of us and provides us with everything we need to thrive.  

OB: 

Did the book look the same in the end as your originally envisioned it when you started working, or did it change through the writing process?

WP:

The book actually looked really different in its first draft! The initial draft was told in a rhyming text, but it was really difficult to include all of the pieces I wanted in the story in rhyme, so I started drafting it out of rhyme and it gave me so much more flexibility to really focus on this beautiful, soft, cozy story. I’m really happy with the changes we made, and I’m so excited to have this story as my first non-rhyming story! 

OB:

What was the strangest or most memorable moment or experience during the writing process for you?  

WP:

I think the most memorable moment for me was actually after the writing was finished – it was the first time I received the character designs for the story. I absolutely fell in love with Shaikara’s artwork and the characters just felt so cozy and precious. The artwork made the story so much warmer and I can’t imagine a cuter book!

OB:

What defines a great book for young readers, in your opinion? Tell us about one or two books you consider to be truly great kids books, whether you read them as a child or an adult. 

WP: 

I’ve always been attracted to powerful children’s books – ones that are full of inspiration with a goal to change the world. I recently read The Lion Queen: Rasila Vadher, the First Woman Guardian of the Last Asiatic Lions by Rina Singh and I absolutely loved it, I feel really inspired reading non-fiction stories about past and current leaders and matriarchs. There is room for all kinds of stories from fantasy to biography and everything in between and I love so many of them, I think to be a truly great kids book it just needs to be written by someone who is passionate about creating great kids books! 

OB:

What are you working on now?

WP:

I’m sooo excited to have a few projects on the go including my first ever non-fiction story. This book is so special to me and highlights some of the challenges wild salmon are facing on the BC coast. Although it is non-fiction it still has a really cute rhyming storyline that flows really nicely with additional facts and information on each page. The artwork is stunning and will be my first book to feature form line artwork done by the incredibly talented Chantelle Trainor-Matties. I’m just really excited about it, and so excited to continue my work in children’s literature!

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Willie Poll is a Métis author, activist, storyteller, and lifelong learner. She is from Sault Ste. Marie, ON and now resides in Prince Edward Island.

Shaikara David is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist from the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, currently living in Ottawa. She is passionate about storytelling and Indigenous representation through painting colorful worlds.