Gabriel's Winter Count
Andrea M. Page, author
Andrea M. Page was an enrolled citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North and South Dakota. Andrea belonged to a large family, lived in upstate New York all her life, and was fortunate to travel often and experience different cultures. She wrote about untold stories and people who inspire, and she hoped that her work sparks commitment in others to make the world a better place. She was the author of Who Was Wilma Mankiller? and Sioux Code Talkers of World War II. She sadly didn’t live to see the publication of this book, but she reviewed the final printer proofs. Andrea’s memory is a blessing to all who knew her.
Read more about Andrea.
Alfreda Beartrack Algeo, illustrator
Alfreda Beartrack Algeo is a proud enrolled member of the Kul Wicasa Tribe of the Oceti Sakowin Nation (Sioux) in South Dakota and is dedicated to her family and community. Her work is showcased in numerous private collections, museums, and galleries. Alfreda has authored and illustrated several children’s books, including The Day the Earth Rose Up, selected by the Wyoming Humanities Council to represent the state at the Library of Congress in 2023; Father Eagle and the Hunter; Halhata na Thathanka / Magpie and Buffalo; Bear Heart and the Evergreen Tree; and The Cottonwood Sings. Alfreda lives in Palisade, Colorado, where she makes art and manages her small fruit farm.
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- Coming soon!
School Library Journal
This gentle and beautiful book teaches Lakota values in a way that is ¬specific to the story but grounded in themes universal to all children. When Gabriel’s parents leave home for service—Dad ¬appears in military garb while Mom wears a wildland firefighter uniform—he worries that he didn’t bring a gift to mark their departure. His unci reassures her grandchild that he will find the right gift with time; in the morning, she shares with him the tradition of creating an illustrated calendar marking one’s family’s milestones called a waniyetu wowapi or winter count. While his parents are way, Gabriel draws his everyday life into his own winter count, including basketball games, birthday parties, and preparing wooden lodge poles. Pastel illustrations set realistic images of Gabriel and his family against backgrounds that feature patterns, symbols, and historical imagery drawn from Gabriel’s family’s historic winter count. Gabriel shares his winter count with his parents when they return; their reunion is sweet and satisfying. Rich back matter enhances the impact and understanding of this family story. It includes information about the People of the Seven Council Fires, winter counts, meteor showers (a historic shower from 1833 was noted in Gabriel’s family’s winter count), and Native Americans who serve. A glossary of Lakota words and letters from the author and illustrator are also present. VERDICT Readers will feel the love of family in this book about drawing on powerful cultural traditions to cope with family separation.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-768-4
Ages: 4–7
Page count: 40
8 x 10
Publication date: October 6, 2026



