Sandy Brehl's Reviews > Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa

This story of outreach and mutual support/concern weaves together four distinct cultures across two centuries. Some of the material was familiar to me, but this complete telling is rich with detail and meaningful connective tissue while remaining simply lyrical and nearly magical. The text uses occasional side panels to clarify the history/science behind the actualmevents described in the main text, but the flow is not in any way disrupted.
Beginning with the potato famine in 19th century Ireland (caused by a sudden fungal plague to the crop), the story reveals that Choctaw Native people, reached out frommtheir limited resources to offer assistance. The plight of starving people resonated with those who had been forcibly removed from their own land and suffered starvation and loss as a result. That act of kindness, of recognizing common humanity, remained in the hearts of the Irish people who marked a remembrance of their gift with a memorial statue in Ireland in recent years.
Then COVID caused extreme isolation and suffering for the Hopi Navajo people, whose suffering reached the Irish people. They, in turn, contributed to the Native fund to help provide the water and medicines needed to make it through.
In fact, this intersection of four distinct and distant cultures is a heartwarming reminder of our common humanity. The illustrations include informative scenes and contain luminous and vibrant traditional colors, evoking connection and conveying empathy.