Reviewed by Robert A. Groves for Readers' Favorite

The Magical Genes: Indigenous Peoples’ Day Activity Book by Susan Lorraine Kadera is an educational workbook. Rather than telling a story, the book offers hands-on activities and plain language to help children begin to understand and respect Native American culture. The activities are varied. There are matching games, coloring pages, and themed word searches. There are also word lists to help readers expand their vocabulary. One of the best parts of the book is its ten profiles of famous cultural leaders spanning leadership, sports, art, poetry, and activism. My favorite profile was that of Buffy Sainte-Marie of the Cree Nation. She was a singer-songwriter who used music to increase awareness of Indigenous Peoples’ issues. The profiles allow a nation’s history to be kept and learned for generations to come. They were balanced between genders and Native American cultures.

Five recurring themes frame the content of The Magical Genes: Indigenous Peoples’ Day Activity Book. One is the celebration of the past and present. The second is kindness. The activities emphasize kindness toward others who may be perceived as different. Everyone has value. The third is nature. The sky, water, sun, moon, and land are essential components of this culture. Before modern technology existed, everything about life was decided by patterns in nature. The fourth theme is unity. The activities teach togetherness, peace, strength, respect, family, and friends. And finally, the theme of heroes: both large and well-known, quiet and effective. The themed pattern will help guide parents and educators in planning lessons for either the traditional classroom or homeschool settings. Susan Lorraine Kadera has created her own illustrations for the workbook. In one word – fantastic! As I often do with children’s books that I review, I test them out on the children in my life. This one received five stars and thumbs-up across the board.