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The Flying Canoe: A Christmas Story
On Christmas Eve, six French-Canadian trappers meet a mysterious stranger who gives them the gift of a trip to their homes in Montreal, if only they agree not to speak until they cross their own thresholds.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
44 people want to read
About the author
Eric A. Kimmel
160 books111 followersEric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 8, 2020
Imo, insufficient. I love tales in which clever ppl get the better of Old Scratch, despite being only human (The Devil's Storybooks: Twenty Delightfully Wicked Stories is my favorite recommendation). I love learning about other cultures, in this case the French-Canadians. I love that Kimmel works with especially appropriate illustrators with each book. However, this just wasn't as magical as I wanted it to be... it felt Disneyfied & made more bland, inoffensive, uninteresting.
December 1, 2018
Prolific children's author Eric A. Kimmel, whose many holiday stories include such titles as
Gershon's Monster: A Story For The Jewish New Year
, and
The Birds' Gift: A Ukrainian Easter Story
, turns here to Christmas, and to the French Canadian folk tradition, setting out the tale of La chasse-galerie. In an adventure that blends European folk elements (such as the Wild Hunt) with Native American themes (the flying canoe), the story of the Flying Canoe concerns a group of voyageurs, or fur traders, who are far from their families at the holidays, and are offered the opportunity (by a mysterious stranger) to avail themselves of a magical canoe-ride home, Christmas Eve night. The condition? That they keep silent during the entire voyage...
Having read and enjoyed another retelling of this French-Canadian Christmas folktale, in the form of Roch Carrier's 2004 The Flying Canoe , I was curious to see what Kimmel would make of it. For the most part, I really enjoyed his version of the story, which was illustrated by father-son team Daniel and Justin San Souci, themselves of French-Canadian extraction. The artwork has a rather flat, stop-motion animation style which, although not usually to my taste, really worked here. I appreciated the fact that Kimmel gave further information about the tale, in his afterword, and also provided a glossary of French words. Recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in Canadian, and French-Canadian traditions.
Having read and enjoyed another retelling of this French-Canadian Christmas folktale, in the form of Roch Carrier's 2004 The Flying Canoe , I was curious to see what Kimmel would make of it. For the most part, I really enjoyed his version of the story, which was illustrated by father-son team Daniel and Justin San Souci, themselves of French-Canadian extraction. The artwork has a rather flat, stop-motion animation style which, although not usually to my taste, really worked here. I appreciated the fact that Kimmel gave further information about the tale, in his afterword, and also provided a glossary of French words. Recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in Canadian, and French-Canadian traditions.
January 13, 2012
L and I both really enjoyed this Christmas book. It may not be for everyone but it was a much different type of Christmas book then we have usually shared. It really does capture the loneliness of Christmas and wanting to go home. It touched on several topics that caught our attention: boats, sign language, travel, Mackinaw Island. Add to this great art work, , some fantasy, some French words, and lots of new vocabulary. I think it is defintely one that we will be adding to our Christmas book box.
One warning for those sharing with younger readers---it does mention the death of a parent, the infedility of a girlfriend (not usual picture book topics for a 4 year old), and a mysterious stranger who may or may not be the devil.
One warning for those sharing with younger readers---it does mention the death of a parent, the infedility of a girlfriend (not usual picture book topics for a 4 year old), and a mysterious stranger who may or may not be the devil.
March 30, 2013
Charming story with wonderful illustration. A treasure to find a French Canadian folk tale here in Texas. Though thought the ending was a bit forced and didn't match the flow of the story.
November 20, 2019
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and 6 fur trappers are deep in the Canadian wilderness, sitting around the fire and wishing to be home with their loved ones in Montreal. As they tell stories from home, they encounter a mysterious man who tells them he is able to grant them their wish. He tells the men that he can send them home in time for Christmas in his magical flying canoe, but they must follow his one rule- they cannot speak a word. The fur trappers are willing to do almost anything to make it home for the holidays, so they agree. Will they be able to follow the mysterious man's only rule? Will they make it home for Christmas? Or will they end up right where they started in the wilderness?
Review:
I love holiday stories from other cultures, and I particularly loved this one because it was North American, but one that I'd never heard before. It's a fun and interesting story to share with students because it doesn't exactly follow the formula of a "Christmas story", yet it's interesting with magical elements and a bit of suspense.
Teaching Point:
I might read this story at the holidays as I introduce holiday stories from different cultures from around the world. I would use this book as a social studies integration to teach students about cultural similarities and differences. We all want to be home with family during our holidays, no matter what they may be.
Review:
I love holiday stories from other cultures, and I particularly loved this one because it was North American, but one that I'd never heard before. It's a fun and interesting story to share with students because it doesn't exactly follow the formula of a "Christmas story", yet it's interesting with magical elements and a bit of suspense.
Teaching Point:
I might read this story at the holidays as I introduce holiday stories from different cultures from around the world. I would use this book as a social studies integration to teach students about cultural similarities and differences. We all want to be home with family during our holidays, no matter what they may be.
Read
October 29, 2019Summary:This is a french-canadian story that is about some trappers that are on their way home, but they won't make it home in time for christmas. A stranger offers them a deal. He can get them home that night, but they must not speak. They make it all the way back to their home, but they have some things they want to say to their loved ones before they get out of the canoe. What will happen to them if they break their deal? Read to find out.
Evaluation: I thought this was a great story for around Christmas time. It shows the trappers using some clever tricks and idea to get around the stranger's rules, so they can still communicate. I thought the illustrations were very well done as well.
Teaching Idea: This would be a good book to read around christmas time. You could also connect it to map skills and have students track the trappers' route in the canoe on a map of their own.
Evaluation: I thought this was a great story for around Christmas time. It shows the trappers using some clever tricks and idea to get around the stranger's rules, so they can still communicate. I thought the illustrations were very well done as well.
Teaching Idea: This would be a good book to read around christmas time. You could also connect it to map skills and have students track the trappers' route in the canoe on a map of their own.
October 22, 2019
Summary:
This book tells the story of trappers who are stuck in the woods far away from home. All they want for Christmas is to be back home with their families. While in the woods a magical being comes to them and says that they can go home as long as they don't talk until they get home. The men get almost all the way home when they run into a problem.
Evaluation:
This book is well written and the pictures tell the story along with the text. This book does have a little bit of a scary aspect to it so it might be better for older grades.
Teaching Idea:
This would be a good book to read during the holiday season to expose students to different holiday stories. This is a great way to show cultural diversity in the classroom.
This book tells the story of trappers who are stuck in the woods far away from home. All they want for Christmas is to be back home with their families. While in the woods a magical being comes to them and says that they can go home as long as they don't talk until they get home. The men get almost all the way home when they run into a problem.
Evaluation:
This book is well written and the pictures tell the story along with the text. This book does have a little bit of a scary aspect to it so it might be better for older grades.
Teaching Idea:
This would be a good book to read during the holiday season to expose students to different holiday stories. This is a great way to show cultural diversity in the classroom.
Read
November 25, 2019Summary:
One Christmas Eve, there was a group of lumberjacks in the woods during a terrible snowstorm. They were unable to get home until a stranger came and offered them a way to get home quickly. However, the men were not allowed to speak the entire way home or they would not make it. The men spoke but defeated the stranger so that they could see their families.
Evaluation:
This was a very interesting book to read. The book is a true French Canadian legend. I enjoyed reading this book and looking through the beautiful pictures.
Teaching Ideas:
this book could be used to teach about legends. This could also be read around Christmas time in a classroom.
One Christmas Eve, there was a group of lumberjacks in the woods during a terrible snowstorm. They were unable to get home until a stranger came and offered them a way to get home quickly. However, the men were not allowed to speak the entire way home or they would not make it. The men spoke but defeated the stranger so that they could see their families.
Evaluation:
This was a very interesting book to read. The book is a true French Canadian legend. I enjoyed reading this book and looking through the beautiful pictures.
Teaching Ideas:
this book could be used to teach about legends. This could also be read around Christmas time in a classroom.
December 13, 2022
I am not familiar with this Canadian folktale and I found the picture book peculiar as "a Christmas story". The illustrations are dark and gloomy and it is strongly implied that the character that presents them with their Christmas miracle (the chance to fly their canoe home for Christmas) is the Devil. When they reach home, all is not as they hoped either - one man's mother has passed, another finds his sweetheart married to another man. But they beat the Devil and get their heart's desire - home at last - so ultimately it's a triumphant retelling (from what I gather reading about the original folktale in the notes at the end, original versions are not often so happy!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2019
a French Canadian folktale in which group of voyageurs are offered chance to return to Montreal of Christmas on the condition they do not speak on route home. Can they keep quiet while they travel by canoe back to Montreal?
January 1, 2021
I liked this retelling of a very old and classic tale.
December 29, 2015
This secularized adaptation of La Chasse-galerie ( or The Bewitched Canoe), the French Canadian folktale most famously told by Honore Beaugrand, is nicely done. The fable is still an engaging tale of voyagers wishing to return home, in this case, for Christmas Eve. In this telling the devil is ironically illustrated as Samuel De Champlain, the Father of New France, who demands the six woodsmen not speak a word during their mystical canoe flight home from the wilderness of Lake Nipigon to families and friends in Montreal. The woodsmen agree with the knowledge that they can outwit the stranger using "Indian hand-signals" to communicate.
This version is very PC/child friendly . The majority of the religious symbolism has been stripped away, along with all hints that cursing or drunkenness were ever involved, unlike the original tale. The flying canoe is magical rather than possessed by the devil. In fact, in this version no mention is made of The Devil, or God even, though this is still depicted as a Christmas story from historical Quebec (not that I object, it is simply a statement of how watered-down this version is).
The father-son team of Daniel and Justin Souci created some amazing artwork for this version. I spent long minutes immersed in these illustrations and I will return to this book many times for that very reason. Simply stunning artwork!
This is a nicely done version that is safe for children. This will serve its purpose for primary children, and can be used quite effectively during literacy to cover some aspects of the social studies curriculum at a time when children are so distracted by the holidays. Recommended.
July 27, 2011
Retelling of a French-Canadian folktale.
January 18, 2012
Holiday version of old Canadian folktale. Reminds me of stories I've heard at re-enactments. Fun stuff!
December 11, 2012
Great read aloud between thanksgiving and Christmas.zs
October 1, 2013
We hadn't read this particular folk tale before. The story is interesting and the illustrations are really nice. I think I'd have preferred the traditional ending, though.
January 21, 2016
Six trappers are given the promise they will be home for Christmas if they do not talk until they arrive home.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews