YÁADILÁ!

A multifaceted Navajo expression is the playful center of this family story.

“Yáadilá!” is a common exclamation in Diné households, akin to “good grief” or “oh no” in English. As siblings Bahe and Dezba help Nali (Grandmother) move out of her beloved sheep camp and into their home, their parents make frequent use of the term, scolding the kids as they squabble in the back seat during a long car ride and disturb Nali’s rest after their exhausting trip. Noticing how sad Nali looks, Bahe springs into what seems like mischief, prompting a fresh wave of “Yáadilá!” from the family. But then Bahe reveals a miniature replica of Nali’s sheep camp, complete with Dezba’s dollhouse, some cotton-ball sheep, and a small stream and pond—“for when you miss home,” Bahe explains. Nelson’s (Diné) cartoony digital illustrations match the narrative’s comedic vibe and provide a jaunty backdrop for Goodluck’s (Mandan/Hidatsa/Tsimshian) cultural lessons. Diné words are sprinkled into the text and defined in a glossary. Though the narrative could have benefited from a fuller explanation of the titular term at the outset, young readers will understand “Yáadilá!” by book’s end and will be amused by the interplay between Bahe and the “Helpful Narrator,” who breaks the fourth wall with comic book–style interjections. Underscoring Diné language and heritage, the tale touches on family and homesickness in a context many will relate to.

Exasperation and love go hand in hand in this humorous yarn.