"Hiawatha and Megissogwon" is a poem based on the tales of the Anishinabe Nation. It is part of a larger collection of poems, titled "The Songs of Hiawatha," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In this particular poem, Nokomis, Hiawatha's grandmother, asks him to fight the evil magician Megissogwon, who had killed her father and brought death and disease to her people in the past. Hiawatha agrees and journeys west to find Megissogwon. He first faces serpents and ghosts before finally reaching the magician. A woodpecker helps Hiawatha defeat Megissogwon by telling him to shoot his tuft of hair. Hiawatha succeeds and returns home. Hiawatha and his people celebrate the victory by dancing, singing and feasting.

In this native poem, the story follows Hiawatha and his search to slay the evil magician Megissogwon. On his journey he slays the beasts and serpents on his way to where Megissogwon dwells. Upon reaching Megissogwon's hideaway, he is confronted by the man in question, and the two battle it out night and day. Tired from the fight, Hiawatha sits underneath a tree to rest. A woodpecker instructs him to fire an arrow at the tuft of Megissogwon's hair. With his last three arrows, he fires and takes Megissogwon down. He takes Megissogwon's suit and mask as spoils from his victory. The artwork in this book is phenomenal. Its poetic value, although not as great as the artwork, spells the story vividly. The Indian cultural value of the book is accurately depicted in a manner suitable for older children, as the violence within the tale may not be for the younger child, nor the prose. All in all, a good book. ( )