Mammoth Magic

by Shelley Gill, Shannon Cartwright (Illustrator)

A young boy overcomes his fear of the dark with the help of his wise grandfather and a woolly friend. An empowering tale filled with Yupik legneds that celebrate the natural world. 36 pages, full color, recycled paper.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

Alaskan author Shelley Gill lives in Homer, Alaska at the end of the road in North America. Her books reflect her life: racing in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, doing humpback research in Prince William Sound and working as a naturalist in various habitats: Alaska, Antarctica and Hawaii. Her current project, Whale Detective, follows her own research into the community life of humpbacks in Alaska. Her APP What's Up With Whales is in the App Store and looks at the new science about whales around the world. And in February her first board book: If I Were A Whale will be released by Sasquatch Books. She has visited 4800 schools around the world inspiring students to be avid readers and great writers. Her autobiography, Gabe-a girl, her dog and the 1970's, was released in the fall 2016.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and soothing story about overcoming a fear of the dark. The history and culture of the Yupik people are introduced and the story is good for children. I loved the way that the grandfather allows the young boy to get over his fear on his own terms.

The illustrations are nicely detailed and give the impression of a dark nighttime setting. I discovered this one while shopping for souvenirs during my short stay in Anchorage and purchased it to bring home to our girls. It might be a bit young for them, but I really liked the story.

We read this together the first night I got home from my trip and I was pleasantly surprised at their reaction. The narrative is a bit long for younger children and I think that the mysticism and magic of the tale enchanted them. Overall it was a hit and I'm glad I brought this one home.