Singing of Family

The Song That Called Them Home – written by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Maya McKibbin
Tundra Books, 2023

Lauren and James, a sister and brother, take a trip with their moshom (grandfather) to an unspecified destination. They are Indigenous young people and travel by canoe.  Tired from the journey, Moshom falls asleep and, as so many children in both life and folklore do, the siblings set out on their own adventure.  Soon, they are immersed in dangerous waters and Lauren is terrified to see James captured by the Memekwesewak, humanoid creatures who transport him to a portal where his fate will be unknown. Lauren finds the strength to save her brother from “A place she could not see. A place that made her whole body tremble.”

David A. Robertson (I’ve reviewed other books by him here, here, and here) creates tension through subtlety.  Are the Memekwesewak evil? They are pale and ghostly, but Maya McKibbin’s image of their dance surrounded by flames is ambiguous.  Robertson states only that James is “dancing his best,” an understated phrase that conveys Lauren’s confusion.  She enters the ring of dancing, her face showing excitement or fear.

The Memekwesewak are consumed with the conviction of their own superiority.  Robertson describes their frenetic motions, along with their chant about why their captive will never want to leave.  Perhaps their assurance is merited; Lauren begins to forget that her mission was to rescue James, not to abandon the familial love that had sent them on their trip with Moshom. 

To borrow an allusion from a different culture, Lauren and James, like Dorothy in the Land of Oz, remember that home is where they belong.  When they stop dancing and listen, they regain their autonomy in a simultaneous sound and feeling: “The children could feel the drum in their chests, just like the beat of their hearts.” At that point, their return is assured, and only needs to be completed in an immersive series of words and pictures.  The balletic scenes of sister and brother diving, dancing, and then emerging through the portal, reunite them with Moshom. Every element in the book is quiet but resonant. There are no direct references to the power of family, but there is a reassuring tone. Even when the children are under threat, the beating drum of their grandfather’s song leads them to safety.  Robertson’s author’s note explains the traditions that inspired him, but readers from any background will identify with his story of exile and return.