Gr 4 Up
This picture book is based on an incident from Scow's childhood. In 1935, a Native boy and his family are spirited away by boat to a secret location where he witnesses a Potlatch ceremony-outlawed with severe consequences at that time by the Canadian government. This story gives readers barely a taste of the culture and vast history around the topic. Bold and colorful acrylic illustrations do serve to add drama and interest; they are interlaced with ghostly Native imagery. Names (e.g., "Watl'kina" and "Tlakwetl") and vocabulary are difficult to read and pronounce without a guide. A historical note is included, although it's at the end of the book rather than at the beginning. Younger children who gravitate to picture books may find the abstract concepts of government and prejudice difficult to comprehend. The story is far more suited to older children who would empathize with and appreciate what Native Canadians endured at this challenging time in their history.
Corrina AustinCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
In 1935, a nine-year-old boy's family held a forbidden Potlatch in faraway Kingcome Inlet. Watl'kina slipped from his bed to bear witness. In the Big House masked figures danced by firelight to the beat of the drum. And there, he saw a figure he knew. Aboriginal elder Alfred Scow and award-winning author Andrea Spalding collaborate to tell the story, to tell the secret of the dance.
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Secret of the Dance
In 1935, a nine-year-old boy's family held a forbidden Potlatch in faraway Kingcome Inlet. Watl'kina slipped from his bed to bear witness. In the Big House masked figures danced by firelight to the beat of the drum. And there, he saw a figure he knew. Aboriginal elder Alfred Scow and award-winning author Andrea Spalding collaborate to tell the story, to tell the secret of the dance.
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Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940175010153 |
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Publisher: | Orca Book Publishers |
Publication date: | 09/01/2017 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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