The ageless theme of a misfit, who finds her voice through song and who learns to make friends by communicating directly with her audience, is a timely treat for anyone who has felt like an outsider, dealt with bullying, moved to a new place, or was different from the rest of the pack.
The entire script is here, complete with song lyrics, stage directions, Cree vocabulary, and challenging tongue twisters to delight all ages. A perfect book for drama students, teachers, and theatre enthusiasts, this beautiful full-colour volume serves as an interactive read-aloud for the young, or a great way to introduce students to the joys of staging a musical production.
Sue Todd
is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, now OCADU, Toronto, with a major in Communication and Design. She has been a freelance designer in retail advertising, done lino-carving, an ancient printmaking technique similar to woodcut. Her images appear on many book covers and interiors, packaging, posters, t-shirts, a TV commercial and a bus.
She particularly enjoys children's publishing and has illustrated many folktales and legends from around the world. Sue won a bronze award in the 3 x 3 Illustration Annual 2012, and was chosen to appear in the 2008 volume of Showcase "200 Best Illustrators Worldwide".
Visit Sue's website at www.suetodd.com.
"A timely treat for anyone who has felt like an outsider, dealt with bullying, moved to a new place, or was different from the rest of the pack... Highly recommended for family, school, and community library collections."
— Midwest Book Review
"The middle of winter when mosquitoes don't bug us may be the perfect time to contemplate the growth and peregrinations of Tomson Highway's little mosquito girl, whose winglessness brings her mockery and general misfittery throughout her school career. With panache and energy, Highway gives us her story in monologue in three different languages — Cree, French and, mostly, English. This is the script for a one-woman musical in one act; it's odd, but nevertheless satisfying, to find here the musicality, wit and moral warmth of Highway's lyrics — even without accompanying score and piano player. Todd's illustrations, in the style of woodcuts, jazz up the rhythms and emotional intensity of Mary Jane's trials with an abundance of quivering black lines and flamboyant colour. This mosquito may not fly, but she sings with infectious vigour. Dedicated to "disabled children everywhere," this is really a story about finding one's voice."
— The Toronto Star
"Tomson Highway's musical cabaret, The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito, is a most unusual book. It represents a mixture of commentary about bullying, disabilities, leadership, isolation, identity, and residential school experiences. Together with Sue Todd's illustrations, Highway's written text makes powerful statements that are informative and thought-provoking.
Highly Recommended."
— CM Magazine
On the CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens list for 2017
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