Booseh - Hardcover

by Amber Stone (Author), Amber Stone (Illustrator)

Booseh is an illustrated children's book recalling memories of a beloved elder relative named Booseh, who came to visit from Oklahoma. Booseh is Muscogee, and the author describes her distinct look, voice, and the beautiful sound of her native language, wishing they had learned more of it themselves.

The story touches on painful history alongside warm, everyday memories: the narrator learns that Booseh lost much of her Muscogee language because she was sent away as a child to a boarding school in Pennsylvania meant to assimilate Native children into mainstream American culture. Interwoven with this is lighter, affectionate storytelling - like the time Booseh mistakenly used dish soap as shampoo and filled the bathroom with bubbles - capturing the closeness and humor shared between them.

The book is a tender family memoir/tribute that introduces young readers to themes of heritage, language loss tied to Native American boarding school history, intergenerational love, and remembrance.