Storm Boy
by Paul Owen Lewis

Why boys and girls nine and ten years old will enjoy this book

Storm Boy by Paul Owen Lewis is different and interesting. The tale draws on the myths of the Haida and Tlingit native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest. It is an adventure story that Mr. Lewis hopes will stir the curiosity of the reader into learning more about those who inhabited the land long before the arrival of the first European explorers.

Mr. Lewis donates a portion of the proceeds from this book to the Haida Gwaii Rediscovery program for tribal youth.

Synopsis

After a violent storm a Haida prince washes ashore in an unknown kingdom. This is a fictional picture book that follows closely the myths of the Haida native peoples who live on the Northwest coast of the US.

The last two pages contain the author's notes about the motifs of Separation, Initiation, and Return. These author comments help the reader to understand the myths and customs presented in Storm Boy.

Description

Paul Lewis tells an adventure of a young Haida prince, his life among the killer whale people and his return to his own village on the back of a killer whale. Mr. Lewis is versed in the mythology of the native people of the northwest and follows closely the structure of their myths. He writes, “In an effort to present a degree of authenticity in the telling, a picture-book format has been deliberately chosen in which the text or verbal content is spare and the bulk of the culturally significant detail is communicated by the art.” He continues, on the last two pages of the book, to present in outline form the essence of the myth of Storm Boy that is told in the prior 28 pages.

What others said about this book

“Lewis manages to respect Northwest Coast tradition, the mystery and beauty of its art and story, while giving it new life and manifest appeal.”---School Library Journal