Larger Than Life: Saskatchewan's Big Roadside Monuments

by Robin Karpan, Arlene Karpan

You see them as you drive down the highway - larger than life depictions of moose, Mounties, coffee pots, prairie lilies, buffalo, birds and bees, and practically any critter you can imagine. Heck, we love our wildlife so much that we even build monuments to gophers and grasshoppers. Some are serious art, many tell a story, and a few are tongue-in-cheek or completely off the wall. One actually is a wall!

Larger Than Life: Saskatchewan's Big Roadside Monuments, is a new book by Saskatchewan writers and photographers, Robin and Arlene Karpan that takes you to over 70 communities to marvel at massive monuments. Know where to find the world's largest still for making home brew? How about the world's largest moose, white-tailed deer antlers, or bunnock? Why did a Saskatchewan town build a huge Santa Claus, and others build a big pink pig, a lighthouse, or huge kangaroo rats? Why on Earth would someone put a Massey combine atop an 80-foot pedestal?

The 176-page book, accompanied by 136 photographs, not only guides you to monument sites, but also takes you behind the scenes to discover the many fascinating stories behind who built these intriguing gigantic sculptures and why.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

About the author

Robin and Arlene Karpan are writers, photographers and publishers based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. For many years the Karpans have worked as freelance writers and photographers, contributing to more than 100 publications around the world, working on contracts for business and government, and selling stock photography.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun travel guide to some of the interesting roadside monuments around Saskatchewan.

[Ashleigh Mattern · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to learn about Saskatchewan through its roadside monuments! Robin and Arlene Karpan are known for their many titles about Saskatchewan; this is one of the more quirky titles, and there's a lot to love about it. They tell the story behind over 70 Saskatchewan monuments: The people who built them, the community that raised the funds, and the choices behind each statue. It's only too bad the photos are in black and white instead of colour! A great read if Saskatchewan trivia amuses you.