SkySisters

by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Brian Deines (Illustrator)

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781550746990
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/28/2002
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	88,344
Product dimensions:	10.05(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jan Bourdeau Waboose is 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.

Editorial Reviews

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

Deines's palette perfectly captures the northern cold and the warm relationship the girls have with one another and those around them.—School Library Journal

Young people will recognize their own awe in the face of a wintry night reading SkySisters. Jan Bourdeau Waboose, a Nishinawbe Ojibwa from Northern Ontario, writes about two girls who go into the woods to look for the “SkySpirits” - the Northern Lights. Waboose's richly evocative tale comes with dreamy illustrations by Brian Deines.—Maclean's

SkySisters is a gorgeous book. Readers will undoubtedly linger on each page to enjoy the masterful work of Brian Deines. In SkySisters he guides us immediately from the warm, comforting colours of the kitchen to the cool, quiet colours of an evening in the North. A spectacular painting appears at the climax of the story as the sisters lie in the snow, staring up in exhilaration at the vibrant swath of the Northern Lights above them.—Children's Book News

Two themes stand out in this book: the sisters' love of nature and their delight in each other's company, both important elements in the author's heritage as a Nishanawbe Ojibway from Northern Ontario.—Winnipeg Free Press

Bourdeau's story is engaging. She writes successfully from the point of view of the younger child. Her language and text are simple and yet capture the magic and poetry of the northern lights. Deines' illustrations are also magic. He draws the reader into the crisp wintry landscape. He depicts children who are real and full of energy. Hid rich deep colours bring the Northern Lights to life and make the reader long for a late night trek of her own.—Calgary Herald

The text and pictures work together to express the sense of wonder and excitement that surrounds the phenomenon of the Northern Lights.—School Library Journal

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.—Books for Growing Minds

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.—Booklist

From the Publisher

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.

Books for Growing Minds

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

Book Links

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.

Booklist

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.

School Library Journal