Elf’s Family Tree
What happens when young Elf the Eagle wants to know all there is to know about where he has come from? What happens when his curiosity about his family tree summons a Spirit Bird? Share his adventures as he tumbles through her left eye and journeys to the World of Before. Share his surprise and wonder when he discovers his ancient ancestors turn out to be Toothy Dinosaurs! Share his sense of belonging when he returns to the World of Now.
Elf’s Family Tree is a sequel to Elf the Eagle, which was shortlisted for the BC Book Prizes in 2008 and the Shining Willow Award (Saskatchewan) in 2009.
“Ron Smith’s homage to the eagle provides a historical record of its origin in prehistoric times to its importance as a cultural icon. But Elf is primarily a story of a young eaglet’s response to the ever-changing world about him. This journey to self-recognition is magnificently illustrated by Ruth Campbell who provides a devastatingly accurate portrayal of Elf’s relatives alongside snapshots of some of birdland’s most beautiful creatures (look for the hoatzin, birdland comic prince). We last see Elf on a totem pole—his voyage complete, celebrating the beauty of the world about him—a world the reader will also come to celebrate.”
—John Kieran Kealy, ridiculously avid birder, Hoatzin admirer and former teacher of Children’s Literatures at UBC for over thirty years
2023, 40 pp., 8 ½ x 11, full colour Casebound: 978-1-77244-275-5, $24.95 Paperback: 978-1-77244-276-2, $14.95
“This is one of those sequels that successfully and organically (and, for that matter, exponentially) expands upon the first. And this is one of those books that will simultaneously educate, entertain, and energize. It will energize young readers to learn more about the dinosaur-to-bird connection. And the human-to-eagle connection. The eagle-to-totem connection too.
Curiosity crackles through every page, and those sparks won’t subside when the book is closed. The lively words and illustrations give the beginnings of a flight path, not the end. Fly with Elf on this journey of discovery–and then, propelled by the artistry of Smith and Campbell, fly beyond.”
-Troy Wilson in BC Review
And Long Out of Print But Available Again!
Elf the Eagle
Elf, a baby eagle, worries about many things, including the distance from his nest, high up in a tree, to the ground, way, way down below. He also worries about his sister, Edwina, who is older and more adventurous than he is, and who spreads her wings and flies out of their nest. Eventually, when his baby down grows into strong, black feathers, Elf’s parents stop bringing him food, and tempt him with tasty morsels that they keep just out of reach. Elf gets very hungry and one day he accidentally tumbles out of his nest. As he starts to fall, his parents yell at him to flap his wings. He does, and he is flying! At the story’s end, Elf can’t wait for dawn to break so he can fly all the way to sun.
With beautiful, full-colour illustrations by Ruth Campbell, Elf is an inspiring story, told with gentle humour. It will delight children, who will relate to Elf’s fears and will realize, as he does, that they too will grow into their wings and fly, when the time is right.
2023, 40 pp., 8 ½ x 11, full colour Casebound: 978-1-77244-279-3, $24.95 Paperback: 978-1-77244-280-9, $14.95
About the Publisher
Rock’s Mills Press publishes a variety of titles for both adults and children. Our authors include Gary Geddes, W.H. New, Patricia Jean Smith, J.L. Granatstein, and Michael Bliss. They are also the publishers of L.M. Montgomery’s Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, five volumes of which have been published to date covering the years 1911 to 1933. Their books are available to retailerAs on standard trade terms. Visit them online at www.rocksmillspress.com or contact them at customer.service@rocksmillspress.com or (905) 616-7001.