Sem's Map

From the author of I’m Finding My Talk comes a candid picture book about the importance of Indigenous place names, and acknowledging traditional lands.

Sem is confused. The map Mr. Trainer has just put on the screen is all wrong. It’s the same shape as Turtle Island but it’s nothing but boxes and lines, and it’s filled with names he doesn’t know. There’s no reference to the stories of the land his Kiju tells him every night while she braids his hair. But Sem’s teacher and classmates claim there’s nothing wrong. It’s the same map they’ve always used.

See tries to see the land the way Mr. Trainer showed him, but it just doesn’t feel right. Where is the story of how the moose gets his dinner? Or where the fish run in the spring? Or when to tap the trees for syrup?

With the help of Kiju, Sem will show his teacher and his classmates how the stories of the land, the Indigenous place names, are far older than any map.

A gentle calling-in, this assured story from Governor General’s Award finalist Rebecca Thomas is paired with colourful, lively illustrations from Azby Whitecalf, as well as colonial and decolonial maps of Turtle Island (North America) for reference. Sem’s Map is an invaluable resource for caregivers, educators, and young readers about the importance of acknowledging the traditional lands we live on, and unlearning colonial ways of the past.

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average rating is 5 out of 5, based on 1 votes, book lovers sharing their thoughts

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Hidayah Al-Kanz

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New Brunswick

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Sem's Map

Here’s my review of Sem’s Map by Rebecca Thomas published by Nimbus Publishing. This children’s book is about a little boy named Sem who is left confused after, in school, he learns about the map of his home North America. To Sem, the map is wrong. It has the same shape as Turtle Island but the lines and names spell a different story. His grandmother, or Kiju, tells him stories of the land, but Sem’s teacher and classmates have never heard them. This book follows Sem as he teaches his class, and us readers, that Indigenous place names are far older than any map.

This book was a sweet one that fosters a very thoughtful way of teaching young kids about the land they live on. It also provides them with perspective on how their Indigenous classmates may feel confused after growing up learning about their culture from a non-colonial lens. The book encouraged many positive ideas such as celebrating differences and thinking critically. I loved that it spotlighted a protagonist who is not afraid to speak up when they notice something may be odd. I also really liked that, in the story, Sem’s teacher modeled intellectual humility, demonstrating to his students that even authority figures who appear all-knowing, are not. He invited the right person to teach them about a topic that he does not have lived experience with.

The illustrations in this book are bright, colourful, and complement the story well. I noticed that, at the start of the book, there was a picture of a map of North America with the settler-named locations, and at the end, the same map was shown but, this time, using Indigenous place names. It was a clever touch that added depth to the book. This was the first non-poetry book I read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I especially loved reading the author’s note at the end that talks about her own experiences growing up and her realization that places weren’t changing their names to something else, but rather, reclaiming what they always had been.

This is a beautifully illustrated, light-hearted, yet educational read. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, yet informative read for young students.

I rate this book 4.5/5 stars!

I recommend this book.