Ages 6 to 11 years. This is a story of how the first beaver came to be. It tells of how a girl child, Reedee, is born with hair the colour of Mother Earth, not the colour of the Raven like the rest of the people in her tribe. When her parents discover that Reedee has a path she must follow on her own, they support her and allow her to become her true self -- and the best that she can possibly be. Caroll Simpson's charming tale is vividly illustrated with her own distinctive colour paintings. Her storytelling and illustrations not only capture the beauty of the Northwest and its flora and fauna, they also teach about Aboriginal culture in the details of everyday life portrayed in the articles of traditional clothing, baskets and boxes. The book includes a glossary of crests and their significance in First Nations culture.

Author Biography

Caroll Simpson taught Native art and drama to grade-school children for many years before buying Ookpik Wilderness Lodge, a remote fishing lodge on Babine Lake, in the northern interior of British Columbia. She spends the off-season writing and painting. She sees her work as a celebration of the legends and art of the First Peoples of the Northwest.