In this Canadian import, a rhymed invocation to Raven accompanies stylized, crackle-finished batiks depicting faceless human figures (plus the occasional angel) in leggings and fringed overcoats dancing beneath stars or the Northern Lights with creatures of land and sea. Though the pictures don't always match--a fire in one scene, for instance, is on flat ground, not in a "crackling fire pit"--they're better than the text, which runs to verses like, "Raven, will you carry me into the northern skies, / Where days go on forever / And night lights up our lives." Rich colors and mystical details, particularly in the several wordless spreads, give the art a metaphysical air that may draw susceptible viewers, but Blaikie's writing won't make a positive impression. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-K-In rhyming verse, a young girl calls to Raven to fly her away to fantastic dreams. "Raven, will you dance with me/beyond the northern lights,/Where all the children's laughter/Swirls color through the night,-/Dance me, Raven, dance me /beyond the northern lights." A spread then shows her dancing with other children in the snow, the sky a swirl of rich colors and golden suns. Next, Raven takes her into the icy deep to swim with the fish, whales, and dolphins, and finally to the tribal fire to hear the elders tell stories. Rich batik illustrations have saturated hues of blue, teal, purple, and salmon. The fabric's wrinkles are visible, creating a fine web of lines across each picture. While the book is visually stunning, the story reads like a quiet lullaby, and the lack of plot or action may limit its appeal to children. Raven's role as a dream giver is never explicitly stated or explained in any notes from the author. Regrettably for educators, there are no endnotes explaining the cultural traditions that informed this tale.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Raven, will you carry me / into the northern skies, / Where days go on forever / and night lights up our lives? In rhythmic, rhyming lines, a girl addresses a raven, with whom she imagines a series of fanciful flights. Together, they soar through ocean depths and Arctic skies filled with angels, children's laughter, swirling northern lights, and cozy fires surrounded by elders and animals. Blaikie's striking batik illustrations show Native American references, from the bold, magical raven to the girl, who is dressed in mukluk boots and a fringed tunic. A note about the cultures of indigenous peoples would have been welcome. The notion of a magical northern Neverland, where sorrow is forgotten / And fantasy takes flight, will capture children's imaginations, as will the simple, joyful images of the girl and her animal friends dancing through ribbons of celestial light. The many lines referring to the shifts between daylight and dark make this a possibility for winter-solstice story hours. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2007 Booklist

A girl speaks to the folkloric character Raven, asking him to take her into the sky, underwater, to the elders' fire, and then home to bed. Blaikie beckons readers into the northern world of the Yukon Territory using batik art enhanced with pen and ink. Stilted in places, the poetic text is not as enchanting as the illustrations. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.