Book – The First Beaver

The First Beaver by author and illustrator Caroll Simpson.

This is the story of how the first beaver came to be. It tells of a young girl, Reedee, who is born with hair the colour of Mother Earth, not the colour of Raven like the rest of her people. It isn’t just her hair that sets Reedee apart: at night, when everyone else sleeps, Reedee disappears into the forest. Her parents are dismayed, but when they learn that Reedee has a path she must follow on her own, they support her and allow her to become her true self.

Caroll Simpson’s charming tale and vivid colour paintings depict the world of the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest and encourage young readers to find and honour their true selves, just like Reedee did. The book includes a glossary of crests and their significance in First Nations culture.

Caroll Simpson taught Native art and drama to elementary schoolchildren for many years before buying a remote fishing lodge, Ookpik Wilderness Lodge, in the northern interior of British Columbia. Located on Babine Lake, it is accessible only by boat in the summer months and by snowshoes during the winter. She spends the off-season writing and painting. Caroll’s work is a celebration of the legends and art of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.