The Animals Speak

Each two-page spread of this 48-page picture book introduces a different animal by its English and Lakota names — complete with pronunciation — and offers a brief lesson on what that creature teaches humans about living well. S. D. Nelson's acrylic paintings draw on traditional Lakota pictographs and ledger-book art, so the illustrations are doing real cultural work, not just decoration. The bilingual text actively supports Lakota language preservation, and the guiding philosophy — that all living beings are related, Mitákuye Owás'i — is presented in a nature-wisdom framing accessible to most families. The honest caveat is that the short format limits depth on any single animal, and the Lakota pronunciation guides may need audio support to use well. For ages 4–8 and the educators who teach them, this is a distinctive and valuable book. Worth It.