Grandmother’s Pigeon
by Louise Erdrich; illus. by Jim LaMarche • University of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 978-1-5179-1147-8 • $17.95 Hardcover
This book brings a story that will endure and a wonderful fantasy to read on Christmas afternoon. Louise weaves
a magical tale, wrapped in family, about a bold, brash and wise Grandmother who one day takes off on the back of a friendly porpoise. In their grieving for her long, long absence, the family visits her room. They discover black stones from Lake Superior and plenty of other keepsakes from her adventures … including three eggs in one of the multiple nests she’s collected.
The eggs promptly hatch into three pigeons, but not just any pigeons … the long extinct (or so it is believed) passenger pigeons. And then the family’s own adventure and decision-making begins. Jim’s luminescent illustrations echo those of Chris Van Allsburg, but with his own warm style. Each page-turn brings a new glowing sense of wonderment.
As any good story does, this one completes its circle by the end and leaves us smiling and wishing “if only” … if only a lost species could be found among our grandmother’s keepsakes.
The Big Island, A Story of Isle Royale
by Julian May, illus. by John Schoenherr • University of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 978-1-5179-1069-3 • $17.95 Hardcover
This reprint of a 1968 book will not officially hit the bookstores until early January, but for Big Lake lovers, it might
be worth putting a little IOU in the stocking for after the New Year. John’s powerful illustrations carry this story that gently teaches how eco-systems work – how each part of the system is required, both predator and prey, for the balance to be maintained. An unfortunate loss of one species or another can threaten the whole of the system. Such has been the recent history of Isle Royale, and this book about the coming of wolves to the island resonates with the newly transplanted wolves now there. The one twinge the 1968 text gave me was reference to when people arrived, showing fur trading post and proclaiming, “They called it Isle Royale.” In telling the true history, even a short version, the first recorded human-generated name likely would be the Ojibwe “Minong,” perhaps meaning “The Good Place.” This new version includes an endnote by wolf researcher David L. Mech and a mention of the most recent chapter of wolves and moose in a story that will continue, we hope, for a long time to come.
Marisol the Parasol, A Bumbershoot Romance
by Joel Glickman, illus. by Ollie Oliver • Self-published
ISBN: 978-0-5789-9517-4-4 • $15.00 Softcover
Let me say, right up front, this book will be worth the effort it’s going to take you to get it. Joel is a professor
emeritus of music at Northland College in Ashland, where he and his wife, Susan, still live. Set in the weather-fickle Paris, this story revolves around the love of Marisol, a parasol, and Louie, a parapluie (an umbrella). One goes for walks with their family in the sunshine, the other comes out only during rainy days. Tension builds … will they ever walk, hand-in-hand, together with the family? OK, tension doesn’t really build, or maybe just a little, but Joel’s absolutely delightful, lilting rhymes, paired beautifully with Ollie’s witty illustrations, make this a page-turner nonetheless. The story is sweet, engaging and will be a joy to read aloud for the wee ones. As to finding it, we know it is being sold at Honest Dog Books in Bayfield and Spinster Books in Ashland. So if you order from those bookstores, you’re helping local businesses, and that, too, brings good holiday cheer.
Big Yellow, Firefighting Superstar
by Polly Carlson-Voiles, illus. by Consie Powell • Legacy Bound, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-9677057-1-2 • $14.95 Hardcover
Given the news headlines these days, especially in summer, a children’s book about a firefighting plane seems
like a must. Polly’s can-do story details just enough about the process of waterbombing to quench children’s curiosity, plus her airplane and helicopter characters could give the Paw Patrol some hero competition. Big Yellow is a Canadair waterbombing plane, and firefighting is indeed, as she frequently says, what she was made for. Consie’s bright illustrations comfortably carry the story, and each merit some lingering. At the end of the book, readers find more details about firefighting planes and about “good” fires for forest health. Both Polly and Consie live in northern Minnesota and know the recent fires and firefighting there. This book can help children understand more about north woods ecology and presents new heroes helping to keep them and the forest safe.
Dragonfly
by Aimée M. Bissonette, illus. by Catherine Pearson • Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN: 978-0-8075-5821-8 • $17.99 Hardcover
Really, you’ve got to love anything that eats mosquitoes, right? (Sorry mosquitoes.) This explosively colorful
introduction to dragonflies is packed with facts and a birth-to-departure narrative that reveals enough cool stuff for renewed appreciation of these eye-catching north woods neighbors. Tucked into each two-page spread are extra notes about additional amazing particulars. The full experience is a feast of facts and splendid images. Aimée splits her time between Minneapolis and Copper Harbor, Michigan. Catherine resides in Switzerland, where dragonflies also swarm and dart. After reading their collaborative work, you’ll yearn for summer days to get another glimpse of our own mosquito-eating dragons.
Josie Dances
by Denise Lajimodiere, illus. by Angela Erdrich • Minnesota Historical Society Press
ISBN: 978-1-68134-207-8 • $17.95 Hardcover
The importance of community permeates this story about an Ojibwe girl who wants to dance in her first powwow.
To do so requires help from several relations and, ultimately, from the community that welcomes Josie into the powwow circle. Recently many books revolve around powwows and how those gatherings bring the community together through fun, food and tradition. In this story, Josie respectfully asks for help creating the necessary parts for joining the dance. Sprinkled throughout the book are key words in Ojibwemowin. They are not translated within the text, but can be found in the glossary, making a more authentic dialogue among the family and for the readers. Through warm illustrations and a charming storyline, this book highlights the importance of family and tradition.
C is for Camp: An Alphabet Adventure
by Kirstin Dias, illus. by Rebecca Thompson • Tellwell Talent
ISBN: 978-0-2288-5421-0 • $14.95 Softcover (in hardcover, too)
This is a just-right camp (or cabin or cottage) picture book for reading along to little listeners at the end of a full day of fun at the Lake. The story
moves sweetly through the woods, waters and cabin where the bears (who own the cottage) stay and play. It's a hoot to see them on stand-up paddleboard, plunging off the dock and picnicking among the wild neighbors. The alphabet does help to move the story along, but Kirstin is not a slave to matching nouns or verbs to the letters – the thing that can make some alphabet books drag. So this airy romp is more for fun than didactic education. Kirstin, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., told James Hopkin of SooToday that she wanted her two little ones, Blair and Beau, to see their own backyard in the book. “You don’t see our world a lot in children’s books, so it was important for me to write a book that was for kids in northern Ontario,” she told James. Rebecca's illustrations also are delightful and deliver plenty of extra northwoods critters and landscape items to point out. The full package makes for a sunny read while sharing the joys of cottage life – whether on a summer day by the shore or a cozy winter's night dreaming of the summer to come. We corresponded with Kirstin about her publishing experience. "Since it's been a lifelong dream of mine to write a book, it's been such a cool experience being known as an 'author,'" Kirstin tells us. "I felt the most like a real author when I did a park reading for some kids back in the summer. They were mouthing the words along with me and saying them out loud. It was pretty neat to see that they knew the book so well! The most fun comment I have gotten about the book is that it makes people feel like home. And that people who are from the North and have moved away can get it for their kids and teach them about all of our fun ways of life up here. It's so heartwarming to hear those comments." C is for Camp – perhaps along with the companion colouring book – would make a great gift anytime for lovers of the North Woods.
Begin with a Bee
by Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Phyllis Root, illus. by Claudia McGehee • University of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 978-1-5179-0804-1 • $17.95 Hardcover
Three authors collaborated on this sense-of-wonder work, but only one bee is needed to make a full colony and
to lay and care for up to 500 bee babies in a season. These authors, one of whom is from Minnesota, work together like the bees in a hive to create an appealing way to learn about nature. As with so many “children’s books,” this one seamlessly informs with bee facts interspersed among the engaging storyline and the complex illustrations. Thankfully, for now, we usually can still see some type of bee in our gardens and yards … whether the rusty-patch featured here or another more northern bumble. This book points out the challenges of one small bee and the opportunities for her human neighbors to make her life a little easier and her legacy more likely to survive.
The Adventure of Mr. Mouse
by Dave Schulenberg • Self-published
ISBN: 979-8-7229-0973-2 • $9.99 Softcover
With longer text than many picture books, Mr. Mouse will make for a nice sit-down read with a child.
Encountering both magical and quite familiar north woods fauna and flora (we all love blueberries) on his walk through the woods, Mr. Mouse also picks up friends along the way. Punctuated with illustrations of the characters and places, this book makes for a nice romp and a sweet read.