Firedancers

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Text and paintings partner each other well in this coming-of-age story
where a young girl—perhaps 10 years old—is taken by her grandmother
to dance on Smooth Rock Island. “Despite the familiar smell of moss
and pine needles, the familiar sound of the old motorboat and feel of
the river’s spray on her cheeks, Fast One knows that this evening is
different, and special.” Fast Rock Island is a place for ceremonial
dances, the haunt of ancestors.

As the fire grows larger and brighter and the beating of the sacred
drum louder, the girl joins her grandmother in the dance of ancient
warriors, the steps of her ancestors: “We will dance until the night
brings the morning star, until the bright colors of the flames turn to
gray.” The girl feels the presence of her dead grandfather and of all
the ancestors whose community she is now joining.

Jan Bourdeau Waboose is a Nishinawbe Ojibway from Northern Ontario. She
has been writing since she was very young and has published poetry,
stories, and two other picture books that reflect her people’s culture
and traditions. C.J. Taylor is a Mohawk author and artist with many
books to her credit. Her vivid pastel paintings, bold yet subtle,
partner the text perfectly.

Firedancers skilfully evokes a Native world, an ancient culture, and a
young girl’s feelings. Highly recommended.