Fiction - Native Americans, Fiction - Nature, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous, Fiction - Family Life

Skysisters

Name: Skysisters
Author: Jan Bourdeau Waboose
ISBN: 9781550746990

by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Brian Dienes

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Overview

Two Ojibway sisters set off across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits' midnight dance. It isn't easy for the younger sister to be silent, but gradually she begins to treasure the stillness and the wonderful experiences it brings. After an exhilarating walk and patient waiting, the girls are rewarded by the arrival of the SkySpirits — the northern lights — dancing and shimmering in the night sky. This powerful story, with its stunning illustrations, captures the chill of a northern night, the warmth of the family circle and the radiance of a child's wonder.

Synopsis

Wisdom comes to two Ojibway sisters as they share a powerful night together watching the northern lights.

Children's Literature

Scientists may call this a story about the Aurora Borealis. While technically they may be correct, the folklore depicted in this rich, magical tale is considerably more. It has been passed on through generations of Indian people of Alaska. This book invites us to accompany two sisters on a night journey in search of the Sky Spirits. They leave home with their mother's blessing to follow the lighted path of Grandmother Moon. Though the climax grants the children their wishes, the journey is equally captivating. We walk through the moonlit night with sisters Nishiime and Nimise. We encounter gifts of nature along the way. A snowshoe rabbit and a deer startle, and then delight them. The cold wet snow on their tongues and the crisp air they breathe are both described and illustrated in ways that make us feel the chill and taste the snowflakes. If no words were included in this book, we would be left with pages of truly beautiful artwork, still telling a story. Whether hearing the story or reading it themselves, children will soon be checking the night skies, hoping to see for themselves this brilliant light show of nature. 2000, Kids Can Press,

About the Author, Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Jan Bourdeau Wabooseis a First Nations writer. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Brian Deines is a fine artist and the illustrator of Bear on the Train. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

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Editorials

Books for Growing Minds

Two Ojibway sisters set off across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits’ midnight dance, and after an exhilarating walk and patient waiting, the girls are rewarded by the arrival of the SkySpirits – the Northern Lights.

Booklist

Waboose couches her big-and-little-sister story in Native American lore. Two Ojibway girls venture out one cold night for an unclear purpose, following their grandmother’s advice: “Wisdom comes on silent wings.” Along the way, they encounter three guardian spirits: a rabbit, a deer, and a coyote. At last, they arrive at Coyote Hill, where they see the object of their journey: the Northern Lights, or SkySpirits, who dance in the frigid, starry sky. By book’s end, when the older sister renames the SkySpirits “SkySisters,” it’s plain how the simple journey has drawn the sisters together.

Book Links

Stunning illustrations capture the radiance and awe of this nighttime experience.

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-In this atmospheric picture book, two young Ojibway sisters go out into the winter night to view the Aurora Borealis, which their people call the SkySpirits. As they walk through the snow, they pluck icicles from a tree, see a beautiful white rabbit, and are startled by a large deer. On top of Coyote Hill, they catch snowflakes with open arms, listen to the voices of coyotes, make snow angels, and gaze at the stars. When the Northern Lights finally appear, the girls watch in silent awe, and then decide that the SkySpirits are really SkySisters. The standout component of this quiet book is Deines's artwork. His oil-on-canvas paintings are sometimes exuberant, sometimes mysterious, and always attractive. The girls' tender relationship is evident-the older sister is protective and the younger is mildly mischievous. The incident described here is lyrical rather than riveting, but the text and pictures work together to express the sense of wonder and excitement that surrounds the phenomenon of the Northern Lights.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.