Brave like The Buffalo Book: from Alberta + Chapter’s Pick!

When a debut children’s book lands as a Chapters Indigo Heather’s Pick, you know it’s something special. Brave Like The Buffalo by Melissa Allan and illustrated by Jadyn Williams (Fischer-McNab) and the publisher is Rocky Mountain Books, it is more than a story, it’s a moving lesson in resilience, kinship, and facing life’s challenges head-on.

And here’s the local connection – both Melissa and Jadyn are from Calgary, Alberta, making this not just a national success story, but a hometown one. I caught up with Melissa and Jadyn to talk about the journey from idea to bookshelf, their creative partnership, and the powerful symbolism at the heart of the story.

Why You Should Listen

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

The Buffalo Lesson: How the true behavior of buffalo – walking straight into storms – inspired the book’s core message about courage and perseverance.
Indigenous Connections: How buffalo symbolism is deeply tied to Indigenous culture and resilience.
A Creative Match Meant to Be: The story of how Melissa and Jadyn, friends since high school, came together for a collaboration that seemed written in the stars.
Publishing Wins: How their “gut-led” approach landed them a publishing deal with Rocky Mountain Books and a coveted Heather’s Pick at Chapters/Indigo.
The Takeaway: What Melissa and Jadyn hope every reader – child or adult – will carry with them after turning the last page.

Standout Quotes

“There’s always a light at the end. You might be battered and bruised, but you can do it. Oftentimes, we’re surprised by what we can accomplish.” – Melissa Allan

“Buffalo actually go straight through storms instead of around them… It reminds us that we can learn so much from the animals and beings on the land.” – Jadyn Williams (Fischer-McNab)

Where to Find Brave Like a Buffalo

You can pick up Brave Like a Buffalo at your favorite local bookstore, on Amazon, or at Indigo / Chapters. If your local shop doesn’t have it, you can request they order it in.

In Calgary, you can often find Jadyn selling the book alongside her art at Indigenous markets through her business, Art by JFM.

📚 More from the creators: