Children's Literature
The Native Peoples of a Northwoods village are content living in the sheltering, deer-filled forest, next to the bright blue, fish-filled lake, but that changes when the dreaded Windigo, a giant, hypnotizing, shape-changing, man-eating creature made of stone, starts preying on the helpless villagers. How the elders, with the help of a clever boy, manage to destroy the monster, makes for an exciting tale that manages to combine both horror and humor. The Windigo gets his revenge, by becoming the infamous northern mosquitoes. Brooding, mostly dark colored acrylic paintings match the scariness of the tale, while also portraying some of the beauty of the forest. An author's note explains how this retelling is influenced by several Native American cultures of the Northern United States.
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-In a village in the North Woodlands, people begin to disappear one after another, and the villagers suspect that the Windigo is responsible. This stone monster with hypnotic eyes feeds on those who meet his gaze and is immune to weapons. When a boy tending the fiery rocks in the elder's sacred lodge realizes that heat breaks stone, he asks if fire might work against the Windigo; the wise ones then put his idea into practice. The monster's heart explodes, and as his ashes scatter, they become mosquitoes-the Windigo's revenge. This retelling differs from sources Ross cites. She provides a more monstrous vision of a nonhuman cannibal. Versions credited to many Northern tribes reflect the dangers of cannibalism resulting from an isolated existence in subarctic wilderness; Ross leaves reasons for the Windigo's cannibalism unexplained. The strength of the text reflects her background as a Cherokee storyteller. Jacob's primitive acrylic paintings give a general sense of tribal living but, like the text, have no clear connection to a particular tribe. There is a great deal of detail within the illustrations, which often lack a sense of space. Some text blocks placed within paintings are distracting. Illustrated borders on full-text pages repeat elements of pictures on opposing pages, but break the flow of the spread. The book is nevertheless a solid purchase due to the strength of the telling.-Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Kirkus Reviews
From the creators of How Turtle's Back Was Cracked (1995) comes a variant of the widespread Windigo tale, which can be heard from the Tlingit of northwest Canada to the Cree of the eastern woodlands.
Ross demonstrates her colorful storytelling in a suspenseful tale about the Windigo, a giant stone creature who is "taller than the tallest tree," can "change his shape at will," and "feeds on the people." When people begin to disappear, the Windigo is near. A young boy inspires the people to outwit the flesh-eating Windigo and reclaim their land; this gripping tale captures the imagination from the outset and quickly moves to a dramatic and surprising conclusion that is similar to that of The Windigo's Return (p. 1057) by Douglas Wood. Jacob conjures up appropriately spooky images rendered in deep-toned acrylics. Swirling skies and verdant forests dance around the people in a primitivist style, perfectly partnered with the pace and voice of the storyteller.
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