In the dazzling picture book The Song that Called Them Home, a note from author David A. Robertson (The Misewa Saga) explains that Indigenous communities across Turtle Island (North America) believe in the existence of "two humanoid races on Mother Earth": the "humans like you and me" and the "Memekwesewak (Meh-meh-gwee-see-wack), or little people." Robertson, a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, and artist Maya McKibbin (Swift Fox All Along), who identifies as "Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish settler," create here a compelling and dynamic adventure featuring young humans and the mischievous Memekwesewak.
Siblings Lauren and James go "on a trip to the land with their moshom" (grandfather). While Moshom naps at the lake's edge, Lauren and James slip into the canoe to catch a fish for supper. Sudden waves crash against the canoe, and the two tumble overboard. The ghostly white Memekwesewak, who "live between rocks" and "in the rapids," lure James away under the water. Lauren--of course--follows. The Memekwesewak pull the children into a joyful, nearly irresistible dance and the minutes turn "into hours that turn... into days." Luckily, the familiar "thum thump" of Moshom's drum draws the siblings home.
Robertson combines prose and poetry, strategically integrating rhyming couplets, as if emphasizing the playful, albeit perilous, nature of the Memekwesewak. McKibbin's vividly saturated digital art is a visual feast throughout, adding a layer of wordless narrative: family bonds shown through outstretched hands; identity examined through the siblings' nongendered presentations. The potent partnership of author and artist skillfully honors and celebrates both family and folklore. --Terry Hong, BookDragon