Goose Girl.

Linda Ludke is a children’s librarian at the London Public Library.

Set in Northern Canada, a young Metis girl loves watching geese at the nearby lake. Marie’s mother explains the significance geese have in their culture: “when we die the geese take our spirits south into the sky to our promised land.” Marie develops a special bond with one goose who follows her home every night. In a Cree ceremony, her grandfather bestows upon her the spirit name Niskaw, empowering her to “bring the teachings and the healings of the geese to our people.” Embracing her calling, “for the rest of her life she visited the sick, comforted the dying and called the geese to take their spirits home.”

Cree words are incorporated into the text: “Pepihtikwe, iskwesis, pepihtikwe, come in, my girl, come in.” The poetic, evocative images also draw upon oral storytelling traditions.

Rhian Brynjolson’s oil paintings capture the majesty of the Canada goose, the beauty of the landscape, and the love shared between Marie and her elders. Recommended.