On the surface, Diné author Daniel Vandever’s picture books might appear to be straightforward stories, but the messages about the power of imagination and adventure in his books are imbued with layers of meaning. In his book Fall in Line, Holden!, a little boy breaks free from the constraints of rules and discipline by using his imagination. On a deeper level, the book speaks to the history of Indian Boarding Schools in pushing cultural assimilation. Likewise, in his wordless picture book Herizon, a girl goes on a magic scarf ride to find her lost sheep. This book is imbued with symbolism about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) epidemic, as well as cultural references to the Navajo Nation. Herizon was nominated to represent New Mexico at the 2024 National Book Festival.
“I think there’s a lot of beauty that comes with wordless books and the space they allow the imagination to roam,” says Vandever. “I think there’s a need to at least provide space for others to speak rather than me, and so I wanted to at least draw out a framework of what the story is, but then allow that opportunity for teachers, me as an author, to meet students where they are and to allow others to be a part and participate in this story.”
Mentioned in this Episode:
Fall in Line, Holden! by Daniel Vandever
Herizon by Daniel Vandever
We Weave by Daniel Vandever
Salina Bookshelf
New Mexico representation at the 2024 National Book Festival
The Long Walk
Livestock Reduction Act
“A Brief History of Navaj- Churro Sheep” in the Spring 2025 issue of El Palacio
Navajo Code Talkers
Deb Haaland’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report: Volume I and Volume II
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Roadrunner’s Dance by Rudolfo Anaya
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
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Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Hosted by Emily Withnall, editor at El Palacio Magazine
Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann
Technical Director & Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. Ruiz
Recording Engineer: Collin Ungerleider and Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe
Editor & Production Manager: Alex Riegler
Associate Producer & Editor: Monica Braine (Assiniboine/Lakota)
Theme Music: D’Santi Nava
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