RHCB to Publish Picture Book Adaptation of “Remember” by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
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Joy Harjo (l) © Denise Toombs; Michaela Goade © Sydney Akagi.
Random House Children’s Books will publish the picture book adaptation of U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s renowned poem “Remember,” which first appeared in Harjo’s poetry collection, She Had Some Horses, published in 1983 by W.W. Norton & Company.
Scheduled to release on March 21, 2023, REMEMBER will be published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, and illustrated by Michaela Goade, Caldecott Medalist and New York Times bestselling illustrator of We Are Water Protectors.
“It is a thrill and a privilege to publish this iconic poem written by the legendary Joy Harjo and stunningly illustrated by the profoundly talented Michaela Goade,” said Lee Wade, VP & Publisher of Random House Studio. “Through the book-making process, I’ve learned a great deal from these two deeply observant and thoughtful creators, including the need to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around us. I look forward to young readers being able to learn from them as well.”
In REMEMBER, acclaimed Indigenous creators Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade invite young readers to pause and reflect on family, nature, their heritage, and the world around them. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected. Drawing from her Tlingit culture, Michaela Goade creates vivid illustrations that bring Harjo’s words to life. This timeless poem paired with magnificent paintings makes a picture book that is a true celebration of life and our human role within it.
“‘Remember’ is one of my earliest poems. It came together as I was first becoming a poet, and needed to remind myself about what mattered,” says Harjo. “Every one of us needs spiritual food for how to negotiate this life of struggles and beauty. The poem has a life of its own. This poem has accompanied me much of my life. It is on a spacecraft heading to Jupiter, it is a song, dances have been made of it, and it has been translated into my Mvskoke language. The poem finally has a home in a book, and not just any book but one illustrated by Michaela Goade, one of the best children’s books artists. For the book, she found inspiration in her Tlingit culture. Because of this, her images are especially inspired and powerful and give flight to this poem, what has become one of my most beloved poems.”
“I am so grateful to Joy for trusting me with her poem,” says Goade. “It was truly an honor to help play a role in this book’s creation. As I worked to craft a visual narrative that would harmonize with Joy’s words, I found rich inspiration in my Tlingit culture and ancestral homelands. I hope that this book inspires children and readers of all ages to remember who and where we come from—both as individuals and living beings—and the power that comes from this.”