Sage and the Snowshoe Express by Louise Bradford, Maya McKibbin
ISBN: 1525312960
Genres: Cultural / First Nations, Cultural / Indigenous, Family, Historical Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Sage and the Snowshoe Express by Louise Bradford, member of the Batchewana First Nation, is a picture book that honors the author’s ancestor, an Indigenous mail carrier. In a time when there were few threads binding together disparate villages of northern Canada, mail carriers didn’t just deliver letters and packages; they kept families and loved ones connected, even in the darkness of northern winters. When her father leaves a package behind on his mail run, young Sage races into the woods after him to deliver it. By the time she catches up, a storm is threatening and she cannot go back. Sage must brave the dark and dangerous journey alongside her father and beloved sled dog Nimoosh.

Illustrations by Maya McKibbin are warm and engaging, deftly toggling comic moments with dangerous ones. Sage and her father feel like the kinds of people you might meet anywhere, yet they demonstrate the kind of wisdom and determination that feels extraordinary.

Recommended for school and public libraries, and a delightful addition to any unit dealing with Canada, northern climates, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, community, or the bond between fathers and daughters.

Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library