I picked this book up because it has stories from the Okanagan Valley,where I grew up. This was enough of a draw for me to get past the rather unattractive illustrations and cluttered typography. One of the wonderful things about reading First Nations stories by BC people is that while they are not the stories of my culture, they are the stories of my childhood landscape - they tell stories of the animals, plants, and places I experience every day. It is this local quality that makes this book so delightful for me – it has direct relevance to my life.
These stories give a splendid sense that mythic things are close, that my back yard may have been where the the Four Chiefs of Creation met and decided to give themselves as food for the People-To-Be. And when I hear Coyote laughing in the night, I am glad to know I am hearing his delight at destroying monsters on our behalf. But especially I love the story that shows me that turtles win races, not just through the boring traits of solidity and consistency, but by imagination and daring.
I like that this book is published by a BC press, and that it clearly explains how the Okanagan Elders Council was involved in all stages of the publication. I also appreciate that each line is printed in English and in the Okanagan language. ( )