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Upon seeing Chief Don Lelooska's dramatic red and turquoise paintings and hearing the opening to the Northwest Coast folktale "Raven & Monster Halibut," one can almost smell the cedar smoke and feel the coastal spray: "When only the animal people lived in the world, there appeared a gigantic halibut offshore. He was as big as an island, with a huge twisted jaw and two bulging eyes strangely ... More

Upon seeing Chief Don Lelooska's dramatic red and turquoise paintings and hearing the opening to the Northwest Coast folktale "Raven & Monster Halibut," one can almost smell the cedar smoke and feel the coastal spray: "When only the animal people lived in the world, there appeared a gigantic halibut offshore. He was as big as an island, with a huge twisted jaw and two bulging eyes strangely located on the same side of his head. This giant fish took control of the tides. He pushed the seawater in so high that the animal people could not dig for clams or shellfish." According to these Northwest Indian legends, some animals, such as the raven, had special powers, called dlugwee. This power can be acquired by small but worthy animals or taken from the undeserving. Therefore, it is no accident that these stories appeal so readily to youngsters. Children, who often struggle to find and hold their own power, easily identify with the moral lessons learned in the animal kingdom--finding themselves in the spirited puffins, the vulnerable mice, and sometimes even the terrifyingly angry bears. Like his first illustrated book of Northwest folktales, Echoes of the Elders, this gorgeous collection comes with a CD featuring the deep, soulful voice of Chief Lelooska as he tells each story aloud. (Ages 7 and older) --Gail Hudson

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