The Naming of Aki
by Thomas Peacock,
illus. by Allison Horner
Minnesota Historical Society Press
ISBN: 978-1-68134-305-1
$18.95 Hardcover
This children’s picture book touches on a portion of the Ojibwe creation story – how First Human was given the honor of naming all things of Aki, the Earth, and how First Human asked for a companion on the long journey. The Creator granted that request with Ma’iingan, Wolf, as a friend.
After the long journey of naming ends, the two separate, though in this story and in tradition, the fortunes of Wolves and the Anishinaabe people remained tied together. The story also tells of the Creator’s reward to Ma’iingan – Lake Superior’s shape as a wolf’s head.
Paired with the beautiful and colorful illustrations, Thomas’ telling of the traditional story reverberates with the understanding that all creation is interconnected. It ignites the wonder of the world.
The connection of Wolf and Human has been explored before in one of Thomas’ most memorable books for adults, The Wolf’s Trail: An Ojibwe Story, Told by Wolves. This book reveals the story of the Ojibwe people and their migrations as narrated by Ma’iingan. I can highly recommend that book, too, as a gift to yourself if you haven’t yet read it.
– Konnie LeMay
A Is for Agates
A Lake Superior Alphabet Book
by Pattie Baraks,
illus. by Lisa Perrin-Kosmo
Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN: 978-1-64343-504-6
$21.95 Hardcover
A through Z turns out to be a great vehicle for lyrically navigating the landmarks, landscapes, wildlife and history of Lake Superior.
The rhyming text is nicely read aloud and the images are mini works of art on their own. Both Patti and Lisa have lived by the Big Lake and their love of the water shines through in this work.
For curious young readers, the glossary in the back adds depth or answers the questions some of the words, like Chequamegon, may raise. – KLM
BRAD
The Determined Sheep And His Lake Superior Adventure
Story & illus. by Beth Petrowski
ISBN: 979-8-3493-7190-5
$19.95 Hardcover
Yes, this is a true story … minus Brad flying an airplane, sailing in a boat and riding on a scooter, of course. Brad the sheep captured the hearts of residents from Two Harbors to Duluth and beyond when the Icelandic sheep, born on a farm in Carleton south of Duluth, left his new home near Two Harbors and walked the 40 or so miles back home. Much of that journey was along the Lake Superior shore. Brad – the real Brad – was a social media sensation for quite awhile as he continued to elude capture and still kept going toward “home.”
The real story – and this jazzed up version – both have happy endings back in Carlton, where Brad now lives.
Thanks to Beth for getting the tale into a story that’s fun to read and will preserve our memories of a sheep on the beach. According to Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert’s forward to the book, Beth was inspired by more than just the news of Brad’s journey. The sheep apparently made himself at home on her property for a time.
In addition to track Brad, the book makes mention of many local landmarks, including Duluth’s Lakewalk and Aerial Lift Bridge.
Ultimately this is a story of longing for home and family and the Big Lake adventure is just a bonus. – KLM
Saving Our Sturgeon
Protecting Wisconsin’s Ancient Fish
by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
ISBN: 978-1-9766-0051-7
$20.00 Softcover
Have I mentioned before that sturgeon are my favorite fish? They can grow to more than 6 feet long and 200 pounds, and they can live to more than 100 years. Plus they don’t start “dating” until they are 20 years old (I believe this would be a parent’s dream). They look like throwbacks to the age of dinosaurs. Rebecca puts it succinctly in one chapter title: Big, Odd, and Old.
Rebecca, who also publishes under the name W. H. Beck, brings the science of the species to life with captivating storytelling about research on the fish, how it is accomplished as well as the sturgeon’s role in the history of Indigenous people. Interviews with folk doing the work, like Wisconsin’s “sturgeon general,” researcher Margaret Stadig, and Menominee Tribal Historic Preservation Officer David Grigon, transform the work from textbook to storytelling.
This is a story of survival and revival as well. Sturgeon were once nearly eliminated from Wisconsin’s waters (and around parts of Lake Superior’s watershed, like the St. Louis River). But thanks to reintroduction and rehabilitation of habitat, the ancient fish will continue into the future.
Filled with fun side tidbits and plenty of fascinating photographs, maps and graphics, this can make a great read alone or read aloud for older elementary school children. Or it would be a great appreciated gift for any angler or water lover in the family. – KLM
One Spring Up North
Story & illus. by John Owens,
University of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 978-1-5179-1925-2
$17.95 Hardcover
This is the third seasonal offering of the “Up North” series, with One Winter Up North and One Summer Up North already on the books, so to speak.
John does his storytelling in pictures alone. The book has no text, but certainly has a flow as we follow a family’s trip to the Boundary Waters.
The images are delightful and fresh, enhanced by the “hidden” critters and flora that keep you lingering on each two-page spread to see what you might be missing. Do you see that trio of owlets? Or the fox family casually walking along the ridge? Or those morel mushrooms or the lady’s slipper orchid?
This book would be a wonderful tool in teaching children how to search the woods for all that can be found there. It also allows them to create their own story, using the family and their canoe trip as a basis for the adventure.
What a great way to spend a long day indoors thinking spring while the winter rolls or roars outside. – KLM
Duck, Duck, Peach
The Great Peach Experiment, Book 4
by Erin Soderberg Downing
TGM Development Corp.
ISBN: 978-1-64595-240-4
$18.99 Hardcover
Erin taps her hometown of Duluth as the setting for this fourth in a series about the Peach family, owners of the Peach Pit B&B.
In a rollicking story, the Peaches must help to salvage the Festival of Ships when the World’s Largest Rubber Duck goes missing just before it was to lead the festival parade.
The Peach family reminds me of many quirky fictional families I grew up reading about while in elementary school, each family member with strengths and all with a exuberant sense of life. The book ignited great pre-teen memories for me of reading in the summer sun on the back porch, spending time with off-beat fictional folk.
While solving the ups and downs (literally) and the mystery of the missing duck, the family enjoys life in Duluth. The interior sketches by Henry Downing and Willem and Joseph Fitch just add to the delight.
Erin’s books – more than 75 in all! – have received much praise, including a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award. Book 1 and 3 in this series earned the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections.
Book 4 is a definite invitation to snuggle up on a cold winter day hanging out with a fun family in Duluth . – KLM
Mermaid of Lake Superior
by Aurora Lothbrok
Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN: 978-164343-677-7
$24.95 Softcover
“Wake up, mermaid. Balance has been disrupted, and we must fight. Nature as we know it needs restoration. We need our water back.”
This magical tale involves the awakening of “H,” the only mermaid in the vast Inland Sea we call Lake Superior. Far from lonely, H enjoys the company of the Northwoods and Big Lake wildlife, as well as the underwater ghostly entities trapped by shipwrecks.
But there is something amiss on the sweetwater sea, something killing the whitefish populations. And thus begins the journey of discovery for H and her friends.
Aurora weaves plenty of Big Lake lore and history gently throughout the story. She uses some Ojibwe words and narratives, like H’s friend Nigig (Otter). She also touches on maritime history, especially with those ghostly friends from the bottom.
As H works to discover her own powers and her abilities to help the Lake, she takes us along to meet her underwater world. (I must admit, I’m tickled by a mermaid who texts.) The tale is punctuated with charming northwoods drawings by Jill Myer.
This book was among the nominees for the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards and will be a delightful winter read for teens, tweens and, well let’s say “elders,” alike. – KLM
New Moon’s Family
by Erika Lynn Adams
illus. by Eric Soderstrom
Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN: 978-1-59298-630-9
$17.95 Hardcover
Allie’s Adventures on the Wonder
If Madness Can’t Be Seen, Does That Mean It’s Not There?
by Erika Lynn Adams
Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN: 978-1-64343-526-8
$21.95 Softcover
Duluth author Erika Lynn Adams chose a theme close to home – very close – for her story about 14-year-old Allie Little who lives in a perpetual Wonderland “with all the confusion and none of the wonder.”
Like Erika, her character has auditory processing disorder (APD), which, as Erika describes it, “causes a disruption in the way that an individual’s brain understands what they are hearing.” It can affect most everything hearing related, from difficulty comprehending speech to an inability to remember verbal directions, especially following abstract ideas.
Using Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as inspiration, Erika follows the journey of Allie seeking knowledge to “defend myself against those who would accuse me of not listening.” The disorder that both Allie and her author share actually lends more sense to the well-known story of Alice and perhaps explains why Allie so loves escaping into fairy tales. This is the story of an outsider in search of other outsiders. But really this is a story to which we can all relate on some level. Who hasn’t been in situations where we’ve thought (perhaps not as wittily as Erika writes) “If only I had an extra leg that bent backward, I really would kick myself.”
I love that Allie finds a way – and allies on the journey – starting on a ferry named Wonder and that she learns to accept herself for all her talents.
Erika also has a children’s book to her credits. The rhyming text of New Moon’s Family teaches the cycles of the moon (each representing a separate moon person) while encouraging children to remember their loved ones if they feel lonely or afraid. It is a beautifully done picture book with the story well-blending into the illustrations by Eric. It earned a finalist mention in the Midwest Book Awards.
I’ve met Erika through Lake Superior Writers (she attends the monthly Virtual Writers Cafe that I often host) and I’ve grown to love her enthusiasm for writing and admire her journey to publishing.
Her creative outlets includes hosting a radio storytelling program called “The Tale Collector” aired on KTWH 99.5 Two Harbors Community Radio. It’s worth a listen. – KLM
Best Life Ever!
with The Fulfillment Kids
by Clancy Clark,
illus. by Kim Soderberg
Trail Boot Press
ISBN: 978-1-7348011-5-6
$17.95 Softcover
This book by Clancy Clark of Bigfork, Minnesota, is something of a “self-help” book for youngsters, encouraging a life of fulfillment through use of intuition and visualization. Basically, though, it urges children to be kind, thoughtful and to help others. That’s a formula for a good life that can apply to anyone.
The illustrations of the children exploring and at play are engaging and colorful. Clancy, a life coach of sorts I take it from his author description, is himself a character in the book along with Roz, his real life golden retriever and “Fulfillment Dog.”
This book could definitely be the start of a conversation with children or adults about leading a happy life, one Clancy finds himself through writing, helping others and enjoy the northern Minnesota home. – KLM