Our Little Sharing Circle

Theresa "Corky" Larsen-Jonasson is a proud Cree/Danish Métis Elder with roots in Red Deer and Maskwacis First Nations. She lives her life according to the traditional Indigenous teachings that saved her life. These teachings flow from her parents, her 93-year-old Kokom, Christine Joseph of Cochrane, aunties, uncles, as well as from the Goodstrikers, Williams and John Crier families, all of whom she loves immensely. Corky serves as a member of the National Collective of the Walking With Our Sisters missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness movement and a proud member of Red Deer’s Red Feather Women. She is also a member of the Urban Aboriginal Voices Women’s Council and Red Deer Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Network.Jessika Von Innerebner started her career as an artist at 17 and is self-taught. Illustration is a big passion and she's always finding ways to up her game. Jess lives in sunny Kelowna, Canada with her talented man, Cale. In spare moments she can be found dancing, long-boarding, traveling to distant lands, chasing adventure and laughing with friends.

"(Toddler-K) Larsen-Jonasson, a Cree/Danish Métis Elder, offers a gentle introduction to community values through woodland animals who model positive social behaviors. Helpful to parents and educators is the clear messaging about healthy relationships; the animals demonstrate how to handle disagreements constructively and welcome newcomers into their group. Innerebner's warm illustrations effectively show diverse forest creatures interacting peacefully, reinforcing the inclusive "we all belong" theme. The text may be somewhat formulaic in its approach, but the core message about building supportive communities resonates clearly.VERDICT This is a useful tool for introducing concepts of empathy, belonging, and peaceful problem-solving to young children, addressing important SEL concepts without being preachy."