The Spirit Trackers by J. Waboose
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G2KH4MAbstract
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. The Spirit Trackers. Fifth House Publishers, 2017.
In this volume, Jan Bourdeau Waboose introduces the Anishanaabe version of the Windigo legend and also celebrates the skill of tracking. Waboose is Anishanaabe from Northern Ontario. In this story, Uncle tells Tom and Will the scary story of the Windigo, the Wandering Night Spirit of Winter that “has a heart of ice, and … teeth … like steel. It will eat anything in its way!” Windigo stories are cautionary tales designed to keep children from wandering off in the forest and becoming lost. In this story the Windigo and winter are almost synonymous. Uncle tells the boys, too, that “winter can be dangerous to all things. Respect it and always honour the animals who face the Windigo.” But these boys want to grow up to be trackers, so when they hear what they think is the Windigo out in the darkness, they decide to track it. The tracks lead to a young moose, stuck in the snow. The boys free it, honouring the animal.
Waboose has written several other books that reflect “the Native life she sees in her family, friends and community”. In keeping with that, this is not so much a retelling of the Windigo story as a narrative that shows the importance of the Windigo in traditional Anishanaabe life today. The artwork emphasizes the darkness of winter and the scariness of the Windigo. The blues, blacks and browns complement the wintery themes. Illustrator Francois Thisdale has also hidden animal tracks into most of the pictures. Young, would-be trackers will be kept entertained trying to find them.
This book is highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries.
Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4
Reviewer: Sandy Campbell
Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
