The most recent addition to Yellowknife’s booming picture-book scene, If the Northern Lights Could Speak, is a delightful exploration of the Northwest Territories landscape, people, and animals.
First and foremost a ‘goodnight’ book, Sarah Kalnay-Watson and Myranda Bolstad’s poetic answers to the question “If the northern lights could speak, what would they say?” are accompanied by overwhelmingly cute illustrations by Kaylem Loomis that celebrate the North from the Dehcho to the high Arctic. As well as leaving readers with a final laugh, this picture book subtly leans towards the existential in reminding us that nature, the North, and — above all — bedtime does not revolve around us.
In other words, while we nod off, the owls, wolves, and foxes are just getting started.
With an endearing tale that captures the awestruck and carefree way children view the world, If the Northern Lights Could Speak also tells the story of a local publishing house that is gaining traction. Released by Northern Special Books, a publishing house founded by Lana de Bastiani (author of The Fox and My Boot and Nick the Northern Special), this novel adds to the growing culture of children’s literature by Yellowknifers.
This month alone, Northern Special Books has released Kalnay-Watson and Bolstad’s book as well as a colouring and activity book by Rachel MacNeill and Laura Bromley, both of which have been met with enthusiastic readership.
Yellowknife’s children’s literature scene is as rich and thriving as I have ever seen it. While I can not provide an exhaustive list of picture books, in the past year or so: Gabby the Magic Poodle by Jessie Wilson and Katie O’Beirne, Bear and Ivory: The Quest for the Magical Meretoat by Nikolai Deleff, The Other Ones by Jamesie Fournier, The Outlaw Amy Joan by Matt Fournier, A Ptarmigan in a Birch Tree by Amber Henry and Heather Duinker, and Lana de Bastiani’s own book have all graced the shelves of bookstores and libraries in the North.
If the Northern Lights Could Speak carries the cadence of a ‘goodnight’ book, by which I mean that this book is calm, friendly, and meant to be read out loud. While undoubtedly the perfect tool to round up rowdy kids for bedtime, this book also has a lot of pep, making it an immediate mood booster. Bridging imagination and nature, Loomis’s illustrations anthropomorphise the animals in this book to fantastic effect. Friendly foxes, panicking seals, and maybe even an over-caffeinated owl appear in turn alongside Kalnay-Watson and Bolstand’s musings on what the northern lights would say if they could speak.
A book with a whole lot of life to give, If the Northern Lights Could Speak is a delightful addition to children’s literature in the North and beyond. Whether you’re looking for a family read over the long weekend or a souvenir from your visit to Yellowknife, this book has a lot to say about the Northwest Territories as well as being a testament to our ever-growing place on Canada’s literary map.