The Flying Canoe

Gr 1—4—A group of fur traders spends a miserable Christmas in the remote Canadian woods. Certain that "Père Nöel does not come here," the voyageurs are shocked when a mysterious stranger appears and offers to send them back to Montreal if they promise not to speak until they reach their own homes. They agree and pack their canoe, which rises into the air, whizzing them by the landmarks of their long journey. They communicate via sign language until they arrive in Montreal, where one trader cannot contain a verbal protest when he sees his daughter walking with a military man. Just before the stranger sends them back, the fur traders crash the canoe and fall safely to the ground, home at last. This French-Canadian folktale is brought to luminous life by the San Soucis. The atmospheric artwork, done in traditional and digital media, conveys the mystery and wonder of the snowy journey. Kimmel's storytelling is rich and straightforward. A nice addition to folklore and Christmas collections.—Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library