Publisher: Rock’s Mills Press (2023)
Language: English
Casebound: 978-1-77244-275-5, ($24.95)
Paperback: 978-1-77244-276-2, ($14.95)
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
“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, BC Review