Grandma's Tipi

A summer at Standing Rock reveals family secrets and timeless traditions.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 244 ratings

40 pages· 1,704 words· Est. 14 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Clara's first summer away from home at her grandmother's Standing Rock Reservation is filled with discovery. With her cousin, she learns the art of tipi building and the stories it holds. As they paint spirit pictures and share tales under the stars, Clara uncovers the deep connections of family and tradition. But as summer fades, will these cherished memories be enough to carry her through the year? Explore the magic of heritage and the bonds that tie us together in this heartwarming tale.

From the publisher

A young girl spends the summer at her grandmother’s home on the Standing Rock Reservation in this illustrated, heartwarming family story from acclaimed, award-winning author-artist S. D. Nelson. Winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Children’s Picture Book Now that Clara is almost in third grade, she’s finally old enough to spend her first summer away from home visiting her grandma, Unci, and her cousin at their home in Standing Rock Reservation. To welcome her visit, Uncle Louie brings an extra-special surprise in his pickup truck: the tipi that’s been passed down through their family for generations. The girls learn how to stack the poles and wrap the canvas covering around them, how to paint spirit pictures on its walls, and how the circle of the tipi tells its own story, reminding us how to live in the great Circle of Life. Over long days spent playing outside, doing beadwork together, telling stories, singing songs, and sleeping under the stars, the tipi brings the family closer together. As summer draws to an end, goodbye comes all too soon, but Clara will always cling to the memories of summer days and starry nights . . . and Grandma’s tipi.

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