FICTION

Soapstone Porcupine

by Jeff PINKNEY
illus. by Darlene Gait. 88p. (Orca Echoes). Orca. Mar. 2018. pap. $6.95. ISBN 9781459814721.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—This follow-up to Soapstone Signs focuses on a young boy of Cree decent who is learning to carve soapstone. While out hunting, he and his dog, Atim, meet a porcupine. When Atim tries to protect the boy, he ends up with a muzzle and mouth full of quills. His older brother is angry and sets out to kill the porcupine, but changes his mind after hearing a story about the Kako (the Cree word for porcupine) from Lindy, a wise elder. The integration of the Cree language and representation of a contemporary Cree family is laudable and something not often seen in chapter books. The plot itself is light and somewhat predictable.
VERDICT Notable for its representation of a modern Cree family, but otherwise an additional purchase.
Reviewed by Peggy Henderson Murphy, Wyandot Elementary School, Dublin, OH , Mar 01, 2018

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