Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights

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Summary: Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights
Review: Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a beautifully written and stunningly illustrated original tale of the origin of the Aurora Borealis. The author, Mindy Dwyer has obviously been inspired by the beauty, grandeur, and mystery of her Alaskan environment. Elementary students of all ages will enjoy reading and listening to the descriptive narrative as they admire the colorful, unforgettable watercolor illustrations. Further, the story will inspire students to create their own legends and tales of natural occurrences. In the tale, Aurora, who lives where the sun never sets, longs to see the darkness she has heard about from her Grandmother. A caribou leads her on a long journey. As she is traveling, Aurora collects colors from the daylight sky to help her feel warm and safe. She finally reaches the place where the sun dips below the edge of the earth, and she views the mysterious darkness. Aurora flings the colors she has collected into the dark sky, and as they dance across the sky, she plays with them. The story weaves the spirit of adventure into an appealing tale of courage. Even though Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a fanciful story, the book has a glossary of the very real scientific concepts introduced in the tale. As a teacher, I recommend the book to elementary students and to teachers who want to inspirie their students to read and write.