Tundra Mouse Mountain

achuka

Personal voyages, the importance attributed to homelands that are able to be returned to, and the strength of family ties bind and intersect this spartan, yet delicately beautiful tale.

Children's Literature - Naomi Williamson

Beautifully illustrated by Kristiina Louhi, this title relates the story of a young girl Sari and her mother as they travel from their home in Finland to the mountains of Norway. The purpose of the trip is to return the remains of a plant that Sari's mother picked from the mountain many years before. The plant, an Alpine mouse-ear, had hung on the living room wall for as long as Sari could remember, but her mother had promised ‘Tundra Mouse" that she would take him back to his mountain one day. The journey becomes a special one between mother and daughter as they make the drive to the Arctic, passing Lapland birches, the Teno River, the Arctic Ocean, and many other amazing and interesting feats of nature. It is obvious that mother and daughter have a special relationship and this trip serves to bring them closer together. Louhi's simple but beautiful pastel illustrations enhance the story and support the expressive language that loses nothing in the translation. Jalonen speaks in very descriptive terms that will allow the reader to visualize the landscape as they read. "I stand still. If I stood here for a long time I think I would change into one of the birches. Mummy has seen Lapland birches in winter too. They wore coats of snow then, she said, and were sometimes bent over like old people." This is an excellent book to add to the curriculum for inclusion when studying Norway and the Arctic region. Winged Chariot Press provides "online guidance and support to teachers, librarians and parents in using and enjoying" their books to the max. These can be found at www.wingedchariot.com.