Orca's Family and More Northwest Coast Stories

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

A young killer whale who selfishly shuns his own kind in the hope of
catching more fish soon discovers that he has made himself not only more
hungry but also lonely. A man who steals his neighbor’s vegetables
rather than grow his own food is transformed into an animal that looks
like a thief. A young girl who thinks she is too ugly to ever be popular
is changed into a huge white swan to learn whether mere beauty can
actually bring happiness. When a grey whale who is tired of swimming
meets a bald eagle who is tired of flying, they trade places but soon
find that even their new lifestyles are not perfect.

This is the second collection of fables and paintings by
author/illustrator Robert James Challenger. Challenger’s prose bears a
deliberate resemblance to First Nation oral traditions: humans and
nature interact freely, and both are capable of folly, repentance, and
wisdom. Each fable is constructed around plants and animals common to
coastal British Columbia. In his artwork, Challenger also embraces West
Coast aboriginal culture by portraying his characters in exquisite
Haida-style prints. A minor criticism of this collection is that, after
a while, there is a certain amount of sameness to the themes, and some
conclusions are almost predictable from the first sentence.
Nevertheless, given the overall quality of the finished product,
returning to the stories is like returning to a favorite restaurant even
after you have long ago memorized the menu. Highly recommended.