Tlingit author/illustrator team Miranda Rose Kaagwéil Worl and Michaela Goade spin a folklore-inspired original story in this lovely picture-book. When the people become ill and their shaman goes missing, Raven sets out to investigate, discovering that a terrible giant has most likely kidnapped the shaman. Stricken with illness himself, Raven delegates his task to fight the giant to his niece, who immediately sets out on her quest. After an initial encounter that does not go her way, Raven's niece finds help from the Thunderbird People, and manages to defeat the giant, shattering his club. From the remnants of that club grows a spiky plant, henceforth known as Devil's Club - that manages to heal the people's sickness...

As the brief note at the beginning of How Devil's Club Came to Be makes plain, this is not a traditional Tlingit tale, although it utilizes figures from Tlingit folklore, from Raven to the Thunderbird People. Because of this, I have added it to my Tlingit folklore shelf, as well as to my fairy-tale shelf, reflecting both its influences and its status as an original story. Leaving the question of categorization aside, I found this an enjoyable story, appreciating the fact that it is a resourceful young girl who saves the day, and that there are really two enemies - the giant and the sickness - to be defeated. As expected, the artwork from Michaela Goade, who won the Caldecott Medal earlier this year (2021) for her work on Carole Lindstrom's We Are Water Protectors, is just lovely, with a gorgeous color palette and beautifully stylized figures. This is the second title I have read from Sealaska Heritage Institute, a Native non-profit intended to highlight and promote the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of southeast coastal Alaska, and I hope it will not be my last. Given the ever increasing conglomeration of our book publishing industry - it was just announced the other day that Simon & Schuster was being sold to Penguin/Random House, bringing the number of publishing houses that control the vast majority of our books from five to four - I want to see more from these small, independent niche and/or regional publishers! Recommended to young readers who enjoy folk and fairy-tale style stories, and to fellow fans of Michaela Goade's breathtaking artwork. ( )