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Children's Fiction General

The First Mosquito

by (author) Caroll Simpson

Publisher
Heritage House Publishing
Initial publish date
Sep 2010
Category
General
Recommended Age
5 to 8
Recommended Grade
2 to 5
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781926613673
    Publish Date
    Sep 2010
    List Price
    $19.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781927051221
    Publish Date
    Jul 2010
    List Price
    $12.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781772030631
    Publish Date
    Aug 2015
    List Price
    $12.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

About the author

Caroll Simpson taught Native art and drama to grade-school children for many years before buying a remote fishing lodge, called Ookpik Wilderness Lodge, in the northern interior of British Columbia. Located on Babine Lake, it is accessible only by boat in the summer months and by snowshoes during the winter.

 

Caroll spends the off-season writing and painting. She sees her work as a celebration of the legends and art of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. Her love for the art and history of the First Peoples of North America started when she was a young girl. She began studying Indian history and made her first moccasins at age 10, graduating to making leather clothing by the time she was 13. She still does leatherwork, and she has also made cradleboards for more than 30 years. Her love and respect for First Nations traditions is matched by her love for animals and nature.

Caroll Simpson's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"What a brilliant way to breathe life back into our wounded culture! Prior to contact, our children were taught important life lessons through stories. Caroll has captured the essence of this through her beautifully illustrated books and her masterful ability to take the stories to the stage where she has young people lay the different characters. This is a crucial time for First Nations in terms of language retention and general cultural redemption. Caroll’s work is not only timely, it is vital." —Robert Charlie, (former) Chief, Burns Lake Band

"Without any hesitation I highly recommend Caroll Simpson for any Meet the Author or Young Authors program. Besides being one of the most creative people working with children I have met in thirty-one years of teaching, her topic is culturally significant. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are always enriched by the variety of writers and artists who further our cultural understanding of those who were here before us. Her book, with its beautiful illustrations and decorative borders, is a storehouse of information and an excellent springboard for children’s writing." —Tracy Hagel, Third Grade teacher, Oak Harbor, WA

Librarian Reviews

The First Mosquito

Yax loses his spear among the trees one day. Ignoring his mother’s warnings about the dangers of the woods, he wanders into the forest. Soon he finds himself in peril. Fortunately, the members of the village are able to enlist the help of friendly spirit creatures—Creek Woman, Thunderbird, and the Lightning Snakes, who set a trap for the boy’s pursuers and help transform a fierce monster into the insect now known as the mosquito.

Elements of traditional storytelling, including a glossary of terms and images brings the reader knowledge of the First Nations people in this collection of books. This collection of books is useful in literacy planning, specifically, storytelling skills.

The themes found in this story are: perseverance, bravery, and how mosquitoes came to be.

Source: Association of Canadian Publishers. Top Grade Selection 2016.

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