The Song That Called Them Home

March 1, 2023
On an ordinary summer day, Lauren and her younger brother, James, go to the lake with Moshom, their grandfather. After the long journey, Moshom lies down for a nap. Hungry and impatient, the children decide to take their canoe out to fish. Suddenly, the boat tips over and James is taken away by the Memekwesewak ("little people"). Lauren pursues them, swimming through "a watery pathway" to another world. Finally, she meets up with James and they dance with the Memekwesewak "for hours that turned into days," forgetting everything else until they hear their grandfather's distant cry: "Way-oh, hey, hey / ...Come back! Hear my welcome song! / My beating drum will guide you home!" According to the appended author's note, "Indigenous communities across Turtle Island have stories of the Memekwesewak...[who] live between the rocks, the rapids, amid the trees of the land that provides us with life." McKibbin's ("a Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish settler artist") illustrations depict them as white, wraithlike beings and use dark purples and blues to signal when the children have entered the underwater world. Norway House Cree Nation member Robertson here provides readers with a satisfying story about the strength of family bonds, persistence, and determination. Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 6, 2023
Inspired by Indigenous Turtle Island communities’ stories of the memekwesewak (“one of two humanoid races on Mother Earth,” per an author’s note), Cree author Robertson (On the Trapline) tells of two children’s harrowing adventure with the mischievous beings. Heading on a summertime “trip to the land with their moshom,” siblings Lauren and James, portrayed with brown skin, become hungry and seek to catch a fish when Moshom naps after their arrival. But the canoe drifts from the shore due to Lauren’s inexperience, and memekwesewak soon overturn the vessel, spiriting James through a waterfall and to their hidden world. Lauren courageously follows, finding the land of the memekwesewak and joining James in an entrancing fireside song and dance that goes “faster and faster/ for minutes that turned into/ hours that turned into days”—until another song reminiscent of distant thunder thumps in the children’s hearts, calling them home. Tinged with mystery and peril, Robertson’s adventure underlines a family bond and anchoring traditions, while digitally crafted, kinetic art from McKibbon (Swift Fox All Along), who is Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish, visualizes the memekwesewak as ghostly underwater creatures surrounded by saturated natural landscapes. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from March 1, 2023
Lured away by the songs of mystical creatures in the lake, two Indigenous children must find their way home. On a fishing trip, Lauren and her younger brother, James, take the canoe out on the lake while their grandfather naps on the shore. The water churns, and humanoid creatures called Memekwesewak tip their boat. The children fall into the water. Dismayed, Lauren watches the Memekwesewak disappear with her brother through a waterfall. She follows "the bends and curves of the watery pathway, searching for James," until she reaches an island and sees him dancing by a fire with the mystical creatures, caught up in the songs. And when Lauren joins him, she soon forgets why she came there. Not until the children hear the faraway drumbeats and rhythms of home do they remember their grandfather. When they stop and listen, they feel the strong pull of family, which causes the Memekwesewak to scatter. Colorful, swirling, and whimsical, the illustrations follow the lively pace of the text. Rich blues and purples capture the beauty of the night sky, bringing to life a captivating story that ultimately hinges on the love of family. An author's note explains that many Native peoples have told stories of the Memekwesewak, "one of two humanoid races on Mother Earth, the other being humans like you and me." (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gorgeous story inspired by Indigenous legends that will lead intrepid readers on a watery adventure. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2023
On an ordinary summer day, Lauren and her younger brother, James, go to the lake with Moshom, their grandfather. After the long journey, Moshom lies down for a nap. Hungry and impatient, the children decide to take their canoe out to fish. Suddenly, the boat tips over and James is taken away by the Memekwesewak ("little people"). Lauren pursues them, swimming through "a watery pathway" to another world. Finally, she meets up with James and they dance with the Memekwesewak "for hours that turned into days," forgetting everything else until they hear their grandfather's distant cry: "Way-oh, hey, hey / ...Come back! Hear my welcome song! / My beating drum will guide you home!" According to the appended author's note, "Indigenous communities across Turtle Island have stories of the Memekwesewak...�who] live between the rocks, the rapids, amid the trees of the land that provides us with life." McKibbin's ("a Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish settler artist") illustrations depict them as white, wraithlike beings and use dark purples and blues to signal when the children have entered the underwater world. Norway House Cree Nation member Robertson here provides readers with a satisfying story about the strength of family bonds, persistence, and determination.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)