Gathering the Light
Joy Harjo author
Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, illustrator
Random House Studio, 2026.
Pre-school–grade 3
As we proceed into the season of Thanksgiving, I alert all to a poem about thanking the Earth and Nature. From the former U.S. Poet Laureate and author of the national bestseller Remember, this new picture book reminds readers to cherish their place in the world and make a positive impact wherever they go. Joy Harjo invites readers to embrace who they are — keepers of the light — bound by kindness and connection.
We live in a circle; it begins at sunrise. Go out to greet the day, to respect, to honor.
Beginning at sunrise, this poetic picture book follows a young girl and her loyal dog through the sacred rhythm of a day. We witness the pair gather light in the morning and share the rituals and actions through the day, giving thanks, remembering her loved ones, and releasing the day’s worries. Her journey is a reminder that we all exist as part of a circle—ever moving, ever luminous. Harjo has confirmed that many of her “words come from her teachers and that their good words were planted deep in her”. She is passing these words along to us. I am grateful for this.
In reverent and rhythmic lines, celebrated poet and member of the Mvskoke Nation Joy Harjo has penned an original poem in which she invites readers to live each day with gratitude, respect, and honor. With organic illustrations by Anishinaabe artist MangeshigPawis-Steckley, Gathering the Light is a poignant affirmation of the connection between all beings and the responsibility to care for one another. The colors in the illustrations are warm and autumnal, but there are also rainbows and sunsets within the pages. The artwork elevates the already uplifting words.
In the author’s note Harjo states: “Sundown is a good time to let things go that bother you”.
Joy Harjo is a performer, writer, and the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate, serving three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate. A member of the Mvskoke Nation, Harjo is the author of numerous acclaimed books of poetry, memoir, and children’s literature. Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley is a contemporary Anishinaabe artist and a member of the Wasauksing First Nation.
I met Joy Harjo at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa OK. [2017]
Submitted by Karen Kosko
