Illustrated by Evon Zerbetz ’82 Food Sci., written by Brooke Hartman
Alaska Northwest Books: 2019
The deep desire to fly inspires a child’s Alaskan dream in this lushly illustrated rhyming book. Animals across the Arctic landscape—wolves, ptarmigans, grizzlies, narwhals, salmon, otters, and eagles, among others—greet the dreamer on the nocturnal passage. The path leads to the northern lights, until sunrise when the raven guide takes the child home.
The simple rhymes match well with the linocut illustrations by Zerbetz, whose thick lines give dimension to colorful stars and beasts. The images seem to leap from the page, or fly in the case of owls, eagles, puffins, and ravens. A personal favorite: the two-page image of a floating mother and baby otter with their feast of clams.
Ketchikan-based artist Zerbetz has illustrated a number of children’s books, including Blueberry Shoe, Little Red Snapperhood, and Ten Rowdy Ravens. Her creative work was featured in the in-depth study of raven ecology, Dog Days, Raven Nights, by John and Colleen Marzluff, as well as in public art across Alaska.