The Art of Theytus Books:
Zoe and the Fawn

JANUARY 24, 2020 TO MARCH 15, 2020
Toni Onley Gallery

ABOUT

While checking on their new foal, Zoe and her father discover a fawn curled up in a thicket without its mother. As the two set out to find the doe, Zoe spies many woodland animals and asks her father if each one—a flicker, a rabbit, a rainbow trout—is the fawn’s mother. Dad patiently tells Zoe that none are, and they keep walking. From time to time Dad takes a picture of some of the animals seen with his camera. As they go along, readers learn many new syilx (Okanagan) animal words, each printed in a rust-red type that matches Zoe’s boots and followed by the English word in parentheses. After circling back to check on their new foal and its mother, Zoe and Dad are greeted with a pleasant surprise.

Catherine Jameson (Secwepémc-syilx) has crafted a quiet tale of father-daughter togetherness using simple vocabulary, a good use of repetition, and a gentle storytelling tone. Julie Flett’s (Cree-Métis) earth-toned illustrations neatly complement the author’s style of writing, her mixed media rendering young Zoe and her father with black hair and brown skin and the animals they see with naturalistic verve; stylized greenery establishes the natural setting. 

Theytus Books is a leading North American publisher of Indigenous voices. Located in Syilx territory on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Theytus Books is proudly First Nations-owned and operated in partnership with the En'owkin Centre.

As the oldest Indigenous publishing house in Canada, Theytus Books is recognized and respected internationally for its contributions to Aboriginal literature. Since its inception in 1980, Theytus Books has been a leading proponent for Indigenous authors, illustrators and artists. It ensures that their voice and vision are expressed with the highest level of cultural authenticity and integrity.

In Salish, “theytus” means “preserving for the sake of handing down.” For founder Randy Fred, the name “Theytus” symbolizes the goal of documenting Indigenous cultures and world views through books.

Zoe and the Fawn is available in the Penticton Art Gallery Gift Shop.

CATHERINE JAMESON

JULIE FLETT