About the Author

Russell Hoban was the renowned author of many famous novels, including Turtle Diary (which was made into a film starring Ben Kingsley and Glenda Jackson) and Riddley Walker, which won the John W. Campbell Award for science fiction. He also wrote over 50 children's books, including such classics as The Mouse and His Child, Bedtime for Frances, How Tom Beat Captain Najork and The Sea-Thing Child. Born in Pennsylvania in 1925, he moved to London in 1969, and spent the rest of his life here.

Alexis Deacon was born in London in 1978. His first picture book, Slow Loris (2002) was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. His second, Beegu (2003), was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award and selected by the New York Times as one of the year's best illustrated children's books. In 2008, he was chosen as one of the ten Best New Illustrators as part of the Booktrust's Big Picture Campaign. He lives in London.

Reviews

This is an incredibly rich book: in concept; in structure; in language and deep philosophical thought.
*Magpies Magazine*

A book that you will want to read over and over again, each time gaining more understanding of its hidden truths.
*Good Reading*

In Hoban's final work (he died in 2011), rough-edged characters who speak in prose-poetry hurtle through an Arctic world in which humans, animals, and underworld spirits share a dizzying variety of magical powers ("OK, stand back now," says the hero's raven sidekick at one point, "I'm going to disappear into the generations of ravens all the way back to the Original Egg. Be careful not to get sucked into my slipstream"). Sixteen-Face John is a former shaman with a big gut and pants that won't stay up. When his daughter-to-be, Soonchild, refuses to be born, he uses his rusty shamanic powers to bring back the World Songs that will coax her out--though he dies not once, but three times in the process. Hoban fearlessly tackles the big questions: the distinction between the real and the unreal, the nature of courage, and the debt humans owe the dead and the unborn. Deacon's charcoal drawings (seen by PW only in b&w) render Hoban's mix of horror and slapstick note for note. Hoban's fans will revel in this last tale of his, and they'll mourn when it's done. Ages 14-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 9 Up-In the far north, Sixteen-Face John and his wife, No Problem, cannot convince their daughter, Soonchild, to be born. The spirits have left, and she cannot hear the World Songs of nature. Although John is a shaman, he wastes his time drinking Coca-Cola, watching TV, and reading magazines with centerfolds. No Problem and her friends scrape hides to earn money for videos. To coax Soonchild forth, retrieve the songs, and save the world, John concocts a Big-Dream Brew. In his dream travels, he encounters various animals and spirits that help or hinder his quest. After overcoming fear, dying several times, and spending thousands of years in the spirit world, he retrieves the songs and returns. Soonchild emerges as Here and Now. When she grows up, she forms a band and writes songs that incorporate phrases from John's journey, turning a monumental quest into lyrics that generate celebrity and wealth. Hoban's intent is unclear. Is he paying homage to tales of Native peoples by incorporating characters such as Raven or making fun of them by giving people names such as Where Is It?, Take It Easy, and Way to Go? John's shaman Granny plays poker with her spirit friends and demands vodka and cigars before helping him. Deacon's charcoal-and-pencil drawings, particularly of animals such as the ice bear, walrus, and killer whale, are impressive. Some of the illustrated sequences advance the narrative more effectively than Hoban's words. The book may appeal to adults who enjoy Hoban's novels and will give literary scholars fodder for comparative studies with his other works. Consider as needed for academic libraries.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.