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SkySisters
Two Ojibway sisters set off across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits' midnight dance. It isn't easy for the younger sister to be silent, but gradually she begins to treasure the stillness and the wonderful experiences it brings. After an exhilarating walk and patient waiting, the girls are rewarded by the arrival of the SkySpirits -- the northern lights -- dancing and shimmering in the night sky.
This powerful story, with its stunning illustrations, captures the chill of a northern night, the warmth of the family circle and the radiance of a child's wonder.
This powerful story, with its stunning illustrations, captures the chill of a northern night, the warmth of the family circle and the radiance of a child's wonder.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 28, 2021
I saw this book in a batch of new e-books that our library got, and picked it up because of that cover. Sadly, while the illustrations didn't disappoint, the story very much did.
This is a story narrated by Alex, the younger of two sisters. They bundle up in their parkas, scarves, and hats, and are released into the night by their mother. They want to see the SkySpirits, so they head up to Coyote Hill. In the dark. By themselves. Where they encounter wild animals and try to engage with coyotes.
Now, I don't have kids, but this set off all sorts of alarm bells for me. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Maybe it's just that this book is over 20 years old. But it just doesn't seem right that two little girls would be allowed out by themselves into the freezing cold darkness like this. I get that it's supposed to be about the sisters, but I would've felt a lot better about the whole storyline if there had been an adult present.
That said, the illustrations are gorgeous. They're charming, luminous, and beautiful, bringing to life the beauty of the northern night.
So... I'm about conflicted about recommending this. The story is kind of problematic from a child-welfare point of view. But the illustrations are not to be missed. Perhaps this could work with some sort of discussion about the potential danger the girls were in. Otherwise, it might be best to just peruse it for the visuals and skip the story.
This is a story narrated by Alex, the younger of two sisters. They bundle up in their parkas, scarves, and hats, and are released into the night by their mother. They want to see the SkySpirits, so they head up to Coyote Hill. In the dark. By themselves. Where they encounter wild animals and try to engage with coyotes.
Now, I don't have kids, but this set off all sorts of alarm bells for me. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Maybe it's just that this book is over 20 years old. But it just doesn't seem right that two little girls would be allowed out by themselves into the freezing cold darkness like this. I get that it's supposed to be about the sisters, but I would've felt a lot better about the whole storyline if there had been an adult present.
That said, the illustrations are gorgeous. They're charming, luminous, and beautiful, bringing to life the beauty of the northern night.
So... I'm about conflicted about recommending this. The story is kind of problematic from a child-welfare point of view. But the illustrations are not to be missed. Perhaps this could work with some sort of discussion about the potential danger the girls were in. Otherwise, it might be best to just peruse it for the visuals and skip the story.
March 26, 2020
When Alex sets out late one night with her Nimise - her older sister Allie - to see the SkySpirits, the young Ojibway girl finds it difficult at first to keep the silence that her Nokomis (grandmother) says will bring wisdom. But as she and Allie make their way across the snowy landscape to Coyote Hill, taking in the beauty of the wintry world around them, from the glistening icicles to the fleet-footed deer, she begins to understand her grandmother's words. It is the SkySpirits however, those dancing celestial lights that Allie dubs "SkySisters," who truly bring home to this Nishiime (little sister), the wonder of the night...
Chosen as a First Nation Communities Read selection in 2005, this lovely picture-book presents a gentle tale of two young girls discovering and reveling in the beauty of the Aurora Borealis. The gorgeous oil illustrations by Brian Deines have a luminous, impressionistic feel to them, accentuating the mystery of the nighttime world. I enjoyed both the story and illustrations here, and would recommend SkySisters to all young sky-watchers.
Chosen as a First Nation Communities Read selection in 2005, this lovely picture-book presents a gentle tale of two young girls discovering and reveling in the beauty of the Aurora Borealis. The gorgeous oil illustrations by Brian Deines have a luminous, impressionistic feel to them, accentuating the mystery of the nighttime world. I enjoyed both the story and illustrations here, and would recommend SkySisters to all young sky-watchers.
April 26, 2010
The illustrations are absolutely luminous and beautiful, and the story would not be anywhere near as good without them. A quiet and gentle story about two Ojibway sisters who go out at night to see the northern lights, which they call SkySisters. It’s very sweet, but might be too tame for some children. Children interested in nature, animals, the sky, and/or sisterhood should enjoy this book. I think it’s lovely, and I’d love to see a display of the Aurora Borealis these sisters get to experience.
November 5, 2019
3.75 stars, great story to introduce the northern lights and star gazing to children or students.
October 31, 2018
Fantastic book. This book is oozing with creative vibrancy in its incredible paintings. Waboose threads together a wonderful family story that is punctuated with a nature/spiritual experience.
Anishnaabe author telling an Anishnaabe story. I love it.
Anishnaabe author telling an Anishnaabe story. I love it.
September 26, 2023
Got this book with a happy meal and didn’t really expect much but I really enjoyed it. There are definitely some nit picky things you could point out but it’s a short kids story and I enjoyed reading it and it felt endearing so I don’t really care.
May 1, 2016
(Chapter 8: Recommended Reading)
Book Review
Sky Sisters is a story about two Ojibway sisters that set out on an annual journey through the snow covered woods to see the Sky spirits dance at midnight. The two girls set out on their adventure with their mothers warning, “Great wisdom comes on silent wings” (Waboose, 2000). The youngest sister has a hard time keeping quiet because of the wonderment that nature holds in the woods. As the girls reach the top of Coyote Hill, just in time, they hear the call of the great coyote and return his call. The girls dance and make snow angles on top of the hill. Finally, the Sky Spirits come to dance across the winter’s sky.
A strength that I recognized in this book is the illustrations as the sisters traveled along their journey to Coyote Hill. The illustrator captured the tone and style of the story beautifully. One weakness that I feel that this book has is there is no other reference to the Northern Lights or why they occur.
I would recommend this book to colleagues to use as a lesson on chronology of events as well as point of view. The book is currently written in the first person point of view. The first person point of view helps bring the reader into the family and their ancestral history of the journey to the hilltop. It is through Alex’s memory of their mother and aunt’s journey that we learn that it is more than just a midnight stroll in the woods; it is a right of passage. If the point of view of the story were changed to an omniscient point of view, the story would be dramatically changed. The students could rewrite the story through a different point of view or different perspective and discuss their new story and why they chose that point of view.
Grade Level
Kindergarten through Fourth Grade
Awards and Honors
*First Nation Communities Read Award (2005)
* Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia: Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools – Recommended Reading List (2007)
Book Review
Sky Sisters is a story about two Ojibway sisters that set out on an annual journey through the snow covered woods to see the Sky spirits dance at midnight. The two girls set out on their adventure with their mothers warning, “Great wisdom comes on silent wings” (Waboose, 2000). The youngest sister has a hard time keeping quiet because of the wonderment that nature holds in the woods. As the girls reach the top of Coyote Hill, just in time, they hear the call of the great coyote and return his call. The girls dance and make snow angles on top of the hill. Finally, the Sky Spirits come to dance across the winter’s sky.
A strength that I recognized in this book is the illustrations as the sisters traveled along their journey to Coyote Hill. The illustrator captured the tone and style of the story beautifully. One weakness that I feel that this book has is there is no other reference to the Northern Lights or why they occur.
I would recommend this book to colleagues to use as a lesson on chronology of events as well as point of view. The book is currently written in the first person point of view. The first person point of view helps bring the reader into the family and their ancestral history of the journey to the hilltop. It is through Alex’s memory of their mother and aunt’s journey that we learn that it is more than just a midnight stroll in the woods; it is a right of passage. If the point of view of the story were changed to an omniscient point of view, the story would be dramatically changed. The students could rewrite the story through a different point of view or different perspective and discuss their new story and why they chose that point of view.
Grade Level
Kindergarten through Fourth Grade
Awards and Honors
*First Nation Communities Read Award (2005)
* Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia: Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools – Recommended Reading List (2007)
January 17, 2023
The illustrations weren’t my cup of tea. Not quite realistic. Not sure how to describe them.
I think it would be better as cute drawings/paintings.
I thought it was interesting that the girls weren’t scared of the coyote howl; the older sister was excited and said “it’s a coyote! He’s singing to us. Listen.” And then they howled back to him.
‘Our legs lift with the wind as we dance under the northern sky.’
‘Dizzy, we fall down on Mother Earth’s winter quilt. We lie in silence beneath the endless miles of midnight.’
The SkySpirits turn out to be the northern lights. I wasn’t sure what they might be, maybe the constellations.
I like that the sisters favorite colors are blue and green, that’s the same for me and my sister!
‘Wisdom comes on silent wings.’
I liked some of the quotes in here, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. I thought it was a legend about the stars/galaxy but it was just a tale of two sisters going to see the northern lights. Nice, but I expected more.
I think it would be better as cute drawings/paintings.
I thought it was interesting that the girls weren’t scared of the coyote howl; the older sister was excited and said “it’s a coyote! He’s singing to us. Listen.” And then they howled back to him.
‘Our legs lift with the wind as we dance under the northern sky.’
‘Dizzy, we fall down on Mother Earth’s winter quilt. We lie in silence beneath the endless miles of midnight.’
The SkySpirits turn out to be the northern lights. I wasn’t sure what they might be, maybe the constellations.
I like that the sisters favorite colors are blue and green, that’s the same for me and my sister!
‘Wisdom comes on silent wings.’
I liked some of the quotes in here, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. I thought it was a legend about the stars/galaxy but it was just a tale of two sisters going to see the northern lights. Nice, but I expected more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
This was just okay. There was too much text and it wasn’t great. The little sister kept talking loudly and the big sister kept telling her to whisper. It was pretty boring. Even the illustrations of the northern lights were disappointing. Fuzzy images, not cute or pretty.
There was small insight into the culture but not much. Her mom and aunt went and her mom led because she was oldest, and the girl is led by her big sister. Their grandma told them that wisdom comes on silent wings. Not sure what wisdom had to do with the northern lights.
They encountered animals along the way and played in the snow. They referred to the moon as Grandmother moon. Then the lights came out. Not much to say about it.
There was small insight into the culture but not much. Her mom and aunt went and her mom led because she was oldest, and the girl is led by her big sister. Their grandma told them that wisdom comes on silent wings. Not sure what wisdom had to do with the northern lights.
They encountered animals along the way and played in the snow. They referred to the moon as Grandmother moon. Then the lights came out. Not much to say about it.
October 14, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this because it was about two Native American girls, but it took place in the snow, so it was a good mix. Two sisters hike one night to the top of a hill to wait for the Northern Lights. During their climb, they encounter animals and once at the top of the hill listen to coyote. It is nice to see Native Americans represented in modern text. The illustrations were also very vibrant.
October 15, 2017
Skysisters is about two sisters journey to see the northern lights at the top on Coyote Hill. This story is a great way to show students about another culture. The sisters have so much fun on their journey and we learn about the sisters families and traditions. Illustrations are beautifully colored and truly has the arctic feel to them.
October 16, 2017
This book shows the friendship and love of two sisters. They made such an adventure out of their day and made it seem magical. It is a great read aloud or independent read for many grades and it can be very relateable for children. They can share an experience they've had in the snow or with a sibling.
March 6, 2020
Skysisters is about two Ojibway sisters that set off on an adventure across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits dance across the night sky. This powerful story, with breathtaking illustrations, can teach children about the importance of family while including different cultures. Another great book to add to my classroom library!
November 19, 2020
Beautiful and a little mysterious, this was such a refreshing and lovely read. Two Ojibway sisters set out to find the SkySpirits. I loved the small moment feeling of the story, packed with details and emotions. The younger (but not by much) sister and her desire to be a leader, but also to be comforted, is relatable. The illustrations are warm and soft, like a cozy winter memory.
October 9, 2021
A sweet story about two sisters. The present tense works well to situate the reader in the moment and to depict the joy and wonder the narrator experiences in the moment. I love how the SkySpirits are described in manner that hearken back to the sisters (by means of their favorite colors and the parkas and scarves they wear), circling back to the idea of sisterhood.
May 4, 2017
This book is about two sisters from the Ojibway tribe and their trip to the northern part of the country to see the sky spirits midnight dance. This another great book to explain to students about traditions.
January 25, 2018
The mood of this book is very similar to Owl Moon. Two Ojibway sisters out on a winter night waiting to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Particularly liked the girls’ independence on their adventure. Plus beautiful illustrations.
January 11, 2023
Two Ojibwe sisters hike in the snow to see the Northern lights. Lovely illustrations, and slowly building text (my child did lose interest midway). A relaxing picture book that would be a good bedtime story.
April 1, 2023
Two sisters head into the snow and uphill to watch the Northern Lights.
The world shown is magical, though I imagine a lot of parents would not want to sanction this cold, late night nature walk, which may be a shame.
The world shown is magical, though I imagine a lot of parents would not want to sanction this cold, late night nature walk, which may be a shame.
August 26, 2023
Lots of nostalgia with this story. Two sisters go out into the night to watch the Northern Lights. Not that I ever did that, but I did go outside in the cold dark winter and experience snow and animals, etc.
November 26, 2017
Beautiful story of two Ojibway sisters on a wintry night. Powerful imagery and poetic language.
September 30, 2018
a gorgeous book about two sisters experiencing the Northern Lights.
A real treat. You can feel the cold, the joy of snow, and the delight while watching the lights...
A real treat. You can feel the cold, the joy of snow, and the delight while watching the lights...
October 30, 2018
Beautiful winter read with stunning illustrations.
November 5, 2018
It’s a sweet story if children interested in nature, animals, the sky or sisterhood should like this book.
December 24, 2018
A story of sisters and nature and the Northern Lights. Sweet, but realistic, with little petty squabbles and cooperation and love and a goal. Gorgeous illustrations.
March 24, 2020
A very sweet story about two sisters going alone to see the Aurora borealis or skysisters.
December 16, 2020
This was just lovely. The relationship between the two sisters, their walk in the winter night, the Northern Lights, and that quiet solemnity of ritual.
May 7, 2021
What a beautiful book. Read if you have a chance.
October 8, 2021
Sweet children's book about the northern lights.
November 1, 2021
Love anything to do with the "Merrie Dancers"!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews