Written by Maria DesJarlait
Illustrated by Regina Alice Wilman
Published by Medicine Wheel Publishing
Mom's Review
I Am Not a Costume tells the story of five-year-old Ayasha, an Ojibwe girl who comes to school on dress-up day only to see classmates wearing caricatured not-actually-Tribal apparel. Ayasha doesn't feel right seeing the made up regalia and wonders why they are dressed like that; she questions if she was supposed to wear her formal regalia instead of her doctor costume. The teacher, whose vacant expression echoes the lack of thought her response betrays, tells Ayasha not to be bothered because it's just a costume. It is hard to read the book and not have your heart go out to Ayasha as she sees something meaningful - traditional dress - reduced to a caricature and treated frivolously like a toy. With the help of her family, she decides to talk more to her teacher and share Ojibwe culture with the school. As you would expect, things work out well for Ayasha and her teacher. While I Am Not a Costume is certainly didactic, it does not feel preachy. We see a girl contend with a contemporary problem and find a solution with the support of her loved ones. And readers who may not have previously have given a second thought to dressing up as a Native American princess or warrior will understand why that choice can hurt Indigenous people. Back matter offers more explanation about the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation/insensitivity. I Am Not a Costume offers an easy opening to discussing cross-cultural respect.
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