Alberta Children's/Young Adult Book of the Year Winner, 2008
CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens, 2008
Children can make a difference.
The horses of Sable Island-they are a romantic and enduring symbol of the will to survive in an unforgiving environment. Hundreds of these wild horses live on the windy beaches and dunes of this remote island known as the graveyard of the Atlantic off the shores of Nova Scotia.
Free as the Wind is Jamie Bastedo's re-creation of one of the most fascinating episodes in the history of these wild creatures: the moment in the early 1960s when it was decided the horses would be removed from the island and auctioned off, many of them slaughtered for dog food. School children across the country wrote Canada's then Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, pleading with him to restore the horses to the island, to save them from certain death. This fictional account of that pivotal moment in Canada's history follows young Lucas Beauregard, son of the retiring superintendent of Sable Island, as he befriends and then plots to save Gem, one of the horses of Sable Island.
The horses of Sable Island are a national treasure, not only because their history dates back as early as the settlement of Canada, but also because their continued survival showed the world that children can make a difference.
Susan Tooke's sparkling paintings capture the spare but magnificent terrain of Sable Island in a way that will captivate readers of all ages.
Click here to see some of the actual letters written.
Reviews:
"Yellowknife author Jamie Bastedo has crafted a straightforward story that is sure to inspire today's schoolchildren. Halifax artist Susan Tooke, who won the Mayor's Award for her illustrations in Full Moon Rising, displays her considerable talent with paintings that capture the mystical spirit of Sable Island and its ponies."
-- The Chronicle Herald (Halifax)
"Jamie Bastedo and Susan Tooke, author and illustrator respectively, do a fine job here of recreating characters and landscape, and a moment in Canadian history."
-- The Globe And Mail
"Jamie Bastedo bases the text of his first picture book on a deftly woven mix of narrative and dialogue. The text is punctuated by onomatopeic words in italics that create the effect of a soundtrack: "I take pictures. Click" and "Whump-whump-whump. The big fan in the attic keeps me awake." The voice, reactions, and attitudes of Lucas reveal an authentic character, and the portrayal of his nurturing, supportive family likewise rings true.
"Nova Scotia artist Susan Tooke's 16 double-page illustrations are striking. The fresh openness in her sand and seascapes contrasts effectively with the crowded confines of her ship and city illustrations. . .
"Free as the Wind's cover will attract horse lovers, though, while its East Coast setting will appeal to Maritimers and its resolution will please everyone who loves a happy ending. As well, parents, teachers, and librarians will appreciate the book for its historical relevance and for the lesson it teaches: that lobbying can result in effective change."
-- Quill & Quire,
"Susan Tooke's illustrations are the strength of this book as they add richness and vibrancy to the story. Using the combination of acrylic paints on watercolour paper, she extends the simple text by using flowing lines and rich colour combinations to evoke the emotions of joy and sadness that the story describes. Some images display the horses' wild and powerful spirit while others vividly capture the life of the Canadian people in the 1960s. Lucas comes alive as Tooke illustrates him with large emotive eyes and strong, realistic actions. Truly, the illustrations give life to this text and help to bring history into the present for the reader."
-- CM Magazine
"This is an enduring account of how one young person can make a difference and how standing up for what you believe is right will have an impact. In addition to the inspiring story, the illustrations provide vivid scenes depicting the freedom and beauty of the wild horses on Sable Island".
-- The Inuvik Drum, Yellowknife NT
Jamie Bastedo's work is all about taking science to the streets. Well established as a popular science writer in his books Falling for Snow: A Naturalist's Journey into the World of Winter, Shield Country: The Life and Times of the Oldest Piece of the Planet, Reaching North: A Celebrationof the Subarctic and Blue Lake and Rocky Shores, he writes to inform and inspire, telling a "story of place." He also has written over 30 natural history features in magazines, including Up Here, Backpacker, and Winter Living. When not out on the land, he hangs his hat in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Click here to find out more about Jamie.
Visit Jamie's website On Thin Ice focused on polar bears in a climate of change.
Susan Tooke lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and the New School for Social Research in New York City. She received the Mayor's Award from the Halifax Regional Municipality for illustrating Full Moon Rising. She works primarily in acrylics, but is at home with both traditional and digital media. She has illustrated numerous children’s picture books and her work can be found both in public collections across Canada and the United States. She considers it essential that her paintings be a true reflection of the environments that they portray, from the wind-swept Sable Island to Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, and the people who live there.
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