The Spirit Trackers by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Illus. by Francois Thisdale, Markham, Ont., Fifth House, $18.95
In the Anishinaabe belief system, the Wendigo is a mysterious spirit which inhabits the northern woods.
The information provided in the appendix to this picture book describes it as a giant which can transform itself into human or animal shape. It can walk on the wind and preys on people who are lost in the forest wilderness.
In The Spirit Trackers, Uncle Will, an accomplished Anishinaabe tracker, tells his nephews the tale of the Wendigo one winter evening and warns them of the dangers involved in becoming trackers themselves. The two boys are frightened by the story and their fear intensifies when they hear a loud sound and see a strange shadow pass by their bedroom window in the middle of the night.
In the morning they see tracks which they decide to follow despite their qualms as they know that is what real trackers would do.
Their search through the snowy woods reveals the source of the haunting cries they had heard in the night and reassures them that reality is often less frightening than fears fuelled by active imaginations.
When Uncle comes to escort them home they inform him that they now have a Wendigo tale to tell him.
The author is First Nations Anishinaabe of the Ojibway Bear Clan and her previous books have won several awards. Thisdale’s atmospheric paintings of the Canadian woods are a blend of drawing, photography and digital imagery set on wintry pastel colours.
Endpapers show tracks of various animals the children might encounter while tracking. A wonderful Canadian ghost story for older picture book readers.
Fran Ashdown was the children’s librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library. She loves looking at her backyard trees on a winter night. For more information check your local libraries.
