Misewa sequel a fantastical feast

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This article was published 20/11/2021 (1801 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

David A. Robertson has scored a praiseworthy feat with his recent contract with ABC Signature, a division of Disney Television Studios, for his Misewa series of books. (He’s also signed a six-book deal with Tundra Books, which includes more from the Misewa universe.)

The Great Bear (Puffin Canada, 240 pages, $22, hardcover), book two in the series, follows the adventures of Morgan and Eli in Misewa, a land they first accessed through an attic portal in the first book of the Misewa saga, The Barren Grounds.

Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who have been taken from their families and placed with foster parents. They long for their real parents, especially Morgan for her mother, whom she is afraid to contact for fear of rejection.

It is strongly recommended to first read The Barren Grounds, or risk being confused by the many strange characters — Ochek, Arik, Muskwa and other animal and celestial figures who inhabit this magical North Woods home. Faced with a tragedy involving Ochek at the end of book one, the children time travel back to an earlier time, when he was just a youngster. There they are nearly killed by Muskwa, the Great Bear, who has been destroying villages while looking for food.

Indigenous myths, customs and traditions are celebrated in the Misewa stories. With a possible TV series coming, Winnipeg viewers and readers will stay tuned with great interest.

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Any child who has been fascinated by bugs will enjoy The Bug Club (Drawn & Quarterly, 56 pages, $20, hardcover) by Montreal author and illustrator Elise Gravel.

With amusing pictures in a cartoon format, Gravel introduces a dozen unusual bugs while explaining the difference between invertebrates and insects and giving “fun facts” about many more. If you’ve ever been asked about a stink bug or a scorpion fly, this is the book for you. For earliest book-lovers, ages 3-6.

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Readers who love snowy days will enjoy Song for the Snow (Groundwood, 44 pages, $20, hardcover) by Stratford, Ont. writer Jon-Erik Lappano.

A young girl frets as fields remain green late into autumn. At the market she is given a snow globe playing an old song to welcome snow. She convinces all the people in her village to help sing it. When the first snowflakes finally drift down to her eyelashes, she rejoices in the change of season.

Calgary artist Byron Eggenschwiler’s digital pictures, scattered with snowflakes, help make this a very special read for young children.

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Anyone who has dreamed of climbing the tallest mountain the world, or who admires those who have done so, will enjoy Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest (Groundwood, 32 pages, $20, hardcover) by Victoria author Uma Krishnaswami.

The story of New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa Tenzing Norgay is told here for first readers with brilliantly coloured illustrations by the U.K.’s Christopher Corr. Besides making the challenges of the icy slopes and forbidding precipices realistic, the book may inspire young readers to aim for their own incredible dreams.

The author includes a bibliography of books on the Tensing-Hillary story and additional information on the mountain and some its famous climbers.

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Winnipeg-based Highwater Press has launched a series of books based on traditional Haida principles called the Sk’ad’a Stories Series. In Jigging for Halibut with Tsinii (Highwater, 40 pages, $22, hardcover) by Sara Florence Davidson and Robert Davidson, a young boy accompanies his tsinii (or grandfather) on a fishing trip off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii.

As they face both disappointment and success, the boy learns more than fishing lore. Based on Haida artist Robert Davidson’s memories of his grandfather, this book is enlivened by strong images of the characters and the environment by Janine Gibbons, a Haida multi-disciplinary artist.

Helen Norrie is a former teacher/librarian who has taught children’s literature at the University of Manitoba.