THE TRICKSTER SHADOW

A shadow helps an Indigenous boy see things differently.

Zoon is constantly trailed by the shadow, a doglike gray trickster creature with an elongated body and limbs who makes messes and teases the boy’s classmates—misbehavior that unfairly lands Zoon in trouble. Frustrated, Zoon turns to Nookomis, his wise grandmother. Playing a drum that once belonged to Zoon’s grandfather, she tells him that the heirloom is “called a dewe’igan, the sound of the heart. Use it when you need help guiding your own.” When Zoon’s accosted by the shadow later, his attempts to calm the creature by banging the drum only anger it, and it grows in size. But when Zoon slows the beat, his spirit dances in the sky. When the boy learns to rely on his inner strength, the shadow transforms into a loving companion. In the backmatter, Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe) discusses the trope of the trickster character, someone who makes mischief but often teaches important lessons. His fast-paced story and dramatic art will be immensely captivating to a young audience. The vivid graphic art, embedded with Anishinaabe motifs, intensifies as the adventure progresses; as the shadow looms large, the palette is dominated by moody blues and purples. Why Zoon was visited by the shadow is never made explicitly clear (Pawis-Steckley’s note alludes to “a certain darkness” and “overwhelming sadness” he experienced as a child), but the story offers readers the space to ponder that question for themselves.

A moving and imaginative tale to heal tender hearts.