When We Were Alone by David A Robertson

When We Were Alone by David A Robertson

Winner of the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award! A young girl notices things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak Cree and spend so much time with her family? As the girl asks questions, her grandmother shares her experiences in a residential school, when all of these things were taken away. Also available in a bilingual Swampy Cree/English edition. Download the free teacher guide on the Portage & Main Press website.

A quiet story…of love and resistance… Flett’s collage illustrations, with their simplicity and earthy colors, are soulful and gentle….  All readers will connect with how Nókom lives in celebration of colors, her long hair, her language, and, most of all, her family. -- a starred review * The Horn Book Magazine *
When We Were Alone is rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it. -- Debbie Reese * American Indians in Children's Literature *

…Robertson handles a delicate task here admirably well: explaining residential schools, that shameful legacy, and making them understandable to small children. It’s a dark history, and the author doesn’t disguise that, but he wisely focuses the grandmother’s tale on how, season by season, the students use creativity, imagination, and patience to retain their sense of identity. A beautifully quiet, bold strength arises from the continued refrain “When we were alone” and in how the children insisted on being themselves. Flett’s gorgeous, skillful illustrations have a flattened, faux naïve feel to them, like construction paper collage, a style that works perfectly with the story. She nicely contrasts the school’s dull browns and grays with the riotous colors surrounding Nókom and gets much expression from her simple silhouettes.

Spare, poetic, and moving, this Cree heritage story makes a powerful impression.

* Kirkus Reviews *
Robertson’s soft rhythmic text and Julie Flett’s simple, yet expressive, illustrations combine to create a beautiful story of strength and resistance. The muted colours used in the pictures of residential school life remind readers of the suffering endured by Indigenous children. The contrast between these pages, and the vibrant greens, reds, and blues of the illustrations depicting residential school students temporarily escaping into nature, is heartbreakingly effective. Robertson never tries to disguise the underlying tragedy of Nókom’s experience, but together he and Flett have crafted a book that is still suitable for younger readers, in spite of the intense subject matter.

When We Were Alone is an incredible work of art and is very highly recommended.

-- Roseanne Gauthier * National Reading Campaign *
Robertson's text moves between the present and the past, the girl's questions and Nókom's memories, which deepen and intensify the quiet, powerful way she lives out her own culture, day by day, in the present. A beautifully rendered story of resisitance and love, this is made all the more luminous by Flett's art - not just by flashes of fuschsia or scarlet among ochre grasses, but by her precisely observed images of the compact bodies of the uniformed children, bowed beneath the weight of the scissors, or lovingly tending each other's hair. Highly recommended. -- Deirdre Baker * Toronto Star *

David A. Robertson (he/him/his) is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, and recipient of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Writer's Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award. Among many other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, in 2026 David was nominated for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. He has also received recognition for podcasting, public speaking, and social advocacy, including being honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba in 2023 and a Doctor of Laws by the University of Lethbridge in 2025 for his outstanding contributions to the arts and society. David is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg. Julie Flett is a Swampy Cree and Red River Métis author, illustrator and artist. She has received numerous awards for her picture books, including the Governor General’s Award for When We Were Alone and On The Trapline (written by David A. Robertson), the American Indian Library Association Award for Little You (written by Richard Van Camp) and a BolognaRagazzi Award special mention for We Sang You Home (also written by Richard Van Camp). She is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Award. Her picture book Birdsong was awarded the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for 2020 and Wild Berries was chosen as Canada’s First Nation Communities Read title selection for 2014-2015.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781553796732
ISBN 10	155379673X
Title	When We Were Alone
Author	David A Robertson
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Portage & Main Press
Year published	2017-01-12
Number of pages	32
Prizes	Winner of McNally Robinson Best Book for Young People Award/Younger Category 2017 (Canada), Winner of Governor General's Literary Awards 2017 (Canada), Runner-up for TD Canadian Children's Literature Award 2017 (Canada)
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.