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Children's Nonfiction General

The Cremation of Sam McGee

by (author) Robert Service

illustrated by Ted Harrison

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2006
Category
General
Recommended Grade
4
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554530922
    Publish Date
    Jul 2006
    List Price
    $19.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

In 1986 Kids Can Press published an edition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" illustrated by painter Ted Harrison, who used his signature broad brushstrokes and unconventional choice of color to bring this gritty narrative poem to life. Evoking both the spare beauty and the mournful solitude of the Yukon landscape, Harrison's paintings proved the perfect match for Service's masterpiece about a doomed prospector adrift in a harsh land. Harrison's Illustrator's Notes on each page enhanced both poem and illustrations by adding valuable historical background. Upon its original publication, many recognized the book as an innovative approach to illustrating poetry for children. For years The Cremation of Sam McGee has stood out as a publishing landmark, losing none of its appeal both as a read-aloud and as a work of art. Kids Can Press proudly publishes this deluxe hardcover twentieth anniversary edition -- complete with a spot-varnished cover, new cover art and heavy coated stock -- of a book that remains as entrancing as a night sky alive with the vibrant glow of the Northern Lights.

About the authors

Robert Service was born in Lancashire, England in 1874, the son of lower middle class parents, the eldest of what would be ten children. When he was four, the family moved to Glasgow, Scotland and he and a brother were taken to live with his paternal grandparents and four aunts nearby in Kilwinning. In school, he was known for getting into scrapes, but mostly was a solitary and imaginative child, immersing himself in books. At a celebratory meal for his sixth birthday, he always remembered surprising the adults and even himself, with two spontaneous rhyming verses in the form of a grace, foretelling of his future and his talents.

Robert Service's profile page

Ted Harrison is an internationally acclaimed artist best known for his vibrant interpretations of the Canadian North. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Ted Harrison's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Notable Book, American Library Association,
  • Winner, Best Book Selection, The New York Times

Editorial Reviews

No poem that I can think of, especially a comic one, was ever rendered so electrifyingly in paint

[G]orgeously illustrated — [A] wonderful new edition ... Harrison’s pictures are startling and memorable

No poem that I can think of, especially a comic one, was ever rendered so electrifyingly in paint

There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for books; The Arctic trails have their secret tales that could give you second looks, The Northern Lights have seen their sights But the wisest they ever did see Was the day in’06, complete with great pix They reissued Sam McGee.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for books; The Arctic trails have their secret tales that could give you second looks, The Northern Lights have seen their sights But the wisest they ever did see Was the day in’06, complete with great pix They reissued Sam McGee.

[G]orgeously illustrated — [A] wonderful new edition ... Harrison’s pictures are startling and memorable

Librarian Reviews

The Cremation of Sam McGee: 20th Anniversary Edition

Originally published in 1986 by Kids Can Press (Our Choice 1987/1988).

Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Canadian Children’s Book News. 2007.

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