
This exquisitely illustrated picture book presents a significant portion of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha," focusing on the legendary hero's boyhood. Readers will follow young Hiawatha as he is raised by his grandmother, Nokomis, learning about the natural world, the animals, and the forces of nature. The poem, written in a distinctive trochaic tetrameter, offers a lyrical and adventurous narrative, complemented by Susan Jeffers' detailed and evocative artwork. While a beloved classic, parents should be aware that the poem is a 19th-century romanticized interpretation of Native American legends, not an authentic Indigenous voice, and its full original text includes themes of love, loss, and a controversial ending involving Christian conversion. This particular edition focuses on his childhood, making it more accessible for younger readers.
Hiawatha. The immortal classic by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow