The Great Hibernation

The town of St. Polonius-on-the-Fjord is steeped in tradition surrounding its rather bizarre founding 343 years ago, when a shipwrecked sea captain and his crew saved themselves from starvation by eating a bear's liver, which mysteriously caused a mass hibernation that allowed everyone to survive the winter. At the annual Founders' Day celebration, every citizen older than twelve years, four months, and six days (the age of the youngest original crew member) must thereafter participate in the Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver. This year, Jean, who's just crossed the age threshold, unintentionally spits her portion back up, apparently setting off a repeat of the original town-wide hibernation. Everyone who did taste the bear liver falls into an uninterruptible sleep, leaving the under-twelves to keep the town going under the draconian leadership of the mayor's son. But is something more sinister going on? Though the premise is entertainingly absurd, the book maintains an internal logic and a not-too-wacky tone, leaving space for the mystery of what really caused the giant group nap, and for the always-interesting question of what one would do if adults were (temporarily) out of the way. Black-and-white spot art, including many purported bits of local ephemera, adds to the atmosphere. shoshana flax