Fox On the Ice
Maageesees Maskwameek Kaapit
- Publisher
- Fitzhenry and Whiteside
- Initial publish date
- Nov 2010
- Category
- General
- Recommended Age
- 4 to 18
- Recommended Grade
- p to 12
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781897252666
- Publish Date
- Nov 2010
- List Price
- $12.95
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781897252659
- Publish Date
- Nov 2010
- List Price
- $19.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
One winter afternoon, Joe and Cody went ice fishing with their papa, their mama, and Cody's little black dog, Ootsie. It was the perfect day to fish. The sky was clear, and the sun made the snow sparkle like diamonds.
Brothers Joe and Cody are spending a chilly winter afternoon ice fishing with their parents. Cody is helping Papa fish, while Mama and Joe doze in the sled. Suddenly the sled dogs sit up and sniff. A fox is across the lake, her fur as bright as flames. The sled dogs give chase, pulling Mama and Joe along on a wild ride.
Written in both English and Cree, Fox on the Ice is a wonderful, lyrical story of celebration from award-winning author Tomson Highway, capturing a passing way of life for future generations. Illustrator Brian Deines has created an evocative masterpiece of shimmering oils depicting the beauty of northern Manitoba.
About the authors
Tomson Highway was born near Maria Lake, Manitoba in 1951. His father, Joe, was a hunter, fisherman and sled-dog racer, and his family lived a nomadic lifestyle. With no access to books, television or radio, Highway’s parents would tell their children stories; thus began Highway’s life-long interest in the oral tradition of storytelling. When he was six, Highway was taken from his family and placed in residential school in The Pas; he subsequently went to high school in Winnipeg and then travelled to London to study at the University of Western Ontario, earning a music degree in 1975 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976. Instead of becoming a professional concert musician as he had at one point contemplated, however, Highway decided instead to dedicate his life to the service of his people. Fluent in Cree, English and French, he was for six years the artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts, the first and most enduring Native professional company in Canada which he also helped found. From 1975 to 1978 Highway worked as a cultural worker for the Native Peoples’ Resource Centre. He has worked for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture and also for the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres as a program analyst. From 1983 to 1985 he worked as a freelance theatre artist before becoming the artistic director of the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Company in 1986. He has been writer-in-residence at the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and Concordia University. Tomson Highway is widely recognized for his tremendous contribution to the development of Aboriginal theatre in both Canada and around the world. In 1994, he was inducted into the Order of Canada, the first Aboriginal writer to be so honoured.
BRIAN DEINES has illustrated numerous books for children, including SkySisters
(written by Jan BourdeauWaboose), Dragonfly Kites (written by Thomson Highway),
and One Hockey Night (written by DavidWard). He has been nominated for
numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Ruth and
Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Literature Award, the Martha Baillie Picture Book
Award, and the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award. A native of Red Deer, Alberta,
Brian lives in Toronto.
Editorial Reviews
"Absolutely beautiful color illustrations of a family's unexpected adventure enhance this simple and heartwarming tale."
-- The Midwest Book Review
User Reviews
Luminous art, timeless tale
The action takes place during an Indigenous family's daytime ice fishing expedition. A child's pet dog saves the day after a fox stirs up the sled dogs, who then give chase. Deines' luminous paintings are full of life and colour.Other titles by
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A Vietnamese Boy's Story of Survival
A Bear in War
A World of Kindness
Les chênes de Vimy
La route vers la paix
The Vimy Oaks
A Journey to Peace
Elephant Journey
The True Story of Three Zoo Elephants and their Rescue from Captivity
One Hockey Night
In a Cloud of Dust
Bear on the Homefront
