Book of the week gazes upon the sky
Published on April 30, 2024 at 12:00pm EDT | Author: henningmaster
0Library Happenings
Chad Koenen
The Henning Public School Library is very unique. We are one of less than 10 public and school library combinations. We are here not only to provide our students with high quality books, but our general public as well. It does not cost anything to be a patron of our library and you do not need to fill out any paperwork.
We have the weekly newspaper here in the library for anyone to enjoy, as well as puzzles, and the ability to use wifi. We are increasing the volumn and variety of books that we have on a continual basis. We would love to have you stop up and see what we have to offer.
“The Forever Sky” written by Thomas Peacock and illustrated by Annette S. Lee is our featured book of the week. The inside jacket of this book reads “Nooko’s spirit is there in the stars, says Niigaanii to his younger brother, Bineshiinh, as they sprawl in a meadow, gazing skyward Uncle said when Nooko’s spirit left this world it went there.”
Nooko was their grandmother and they miss her. But Uncle helps them find comfort in the night sky, where all the stars have stories. The boys spend night after night observing the stars and sharing stories, making sense of patterns and wisdom in “the forever sky.” They see a moose, a loon, a crane, the Path of souls, and so much more.
One night a beautiful show of lights fills the sky. Niigaanii explains that the northern lights are the spirits of the relatives who have passed on. The boys imagine different relatives dancing, lighting up the sky with their graceful movements. And then they see her: Nooko is one of the elders leading the dance. She has a message for them. One they can share with their parents and their uncle and everyone else who remembers her. One that lends power to the skies and brings smiles to the stargazer’s faces.”
The author, Thomas Peacock is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe Ojibwe and lives in Duluth, Minn. The illustrator Annette S. Lee is an associate professor at St. Cloud State University. She works in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She is Lakota-Sioux and the Ojibwe and Lakota-Sioux are her communities.
“This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.”