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The transformational experience of making a mask helps to heal a boy's grief. "Tell me about your tree," said Uncle as he planed the angles of the face. "What did you see among the branches?" Solomon described the hummingbird nest and the antics of the baby birds. Uncle rounded the brow with the adze, chipped the hollows of the eyes, and told the hummingbird story. "Did your tree smell nice?" aske... More

The transformational experience of making a mask helps to heal a boy's grief. "Tell me about your tree," said Uncle as he planed the angles of the face. "What did you see among the branches?" Solomon described the hummingbird nest and the antics of the baby birds. Uncle rounded the brow with the adze, chipped the hollows of the eyes, and told the hummingbird story. "Did your tree smell nice?" asked Uncle as he used the hook knife to carve the nose. Solomon remembered the sweet spring smell of sap and the pungent, fall odor of crushed leaves. Solomon has a special friendship with the big old maple outside his house. He knows the tree in all seasons and all weathers. When a terrible storm tears it up by its roots, Solomon is devastated. But through the healing process of making a mask from part of the tree with his uncle, he learns that the cycle of life continues and so does the friendship between himself and the tree. Tsimshian master-carver Victor Reece inspired well-known author Andrea Spalding to write Solomon's Tree after she participated in his mask-carving workshop. He then created a special mask for the story and shared every step of the process with the author and illustrator. The mask itself will be handed down to Victor's son, Solomon. Examples of Victor's work are found in international museums and galleries, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization. While Andrea carved in Victor's workshop, she became aware that she had received a cultural gift, one that she is honored to be able to pass on through her story. Janet Wilson spent several days on Pender Island and took many rolls of photos as she prepared to paint the pictures for Solomon's Tree. For this book, Janet worked in oils on canvas and on wood, researching each detail.
First Nation Communities Read 2004 Selection Shining Willow nominee 2004 Canadian Toy Testing Council Recommended Books '04 Chocolate Lily Award nominee 2003-04 Amelia Frances Howard Gibbon nominee 2003 Resource Links' Year's Best 2002 Christie Harris Illustrated Book Award nominee CCBC Our Choice 2003

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