Skookum Sal, Birling Gal

Linda Ludke is a librarian at the London Public Library.

Sal comes from a long line of birlers, or log rollers. When she turns 11
years old, she is eager to continue the family tradition. But her father
is skeptical, asking, “when did you last see a lady log birler around
this neck of the woods?” Determined to show that she has the strength,
balance, and craft to succeed, Sal practises on logs “slithery with
frog slime” with her sparring partner, Flora the pet goose. At the
Land’s End Loggers’ Sports Day, she disguises herself by wearing a
hard hat and competes against “burly bruisers.” Through skill and
cleverness, Sal defeats the reigning champ, Big Bear Brown.

This tall tale is peppered with offbeat descriptions such as “Sal’s
grin stretched all the way ’round her loose tooth and back again.”
The dialect lends itself well to reading aloud, although at times the
language is stilted and awkward: “Drop pretty near any of those
loggers atop a birling log and they’d go haywire.”

Janice Blaine’s watercolour illustrations have a naive, folk-art
quality that matches the text. However, the characters’ facial
expressions sometimes look rigid and strained. Recommended with
reservations.