Publishers Weekly
10/02/2023
Among the Iñupiaq of the Arctic Circle, “the story of the Messenger Feast was passed down orally from generation to generation for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years,” Hopson writes in this illuminating retelling of the original tale, which follows an Iñupiaq tween who is kidnapped by eagles. All his life, Piŋa has navigated his parents’ grief over his missing older brothers, feeling as if he’s living in their shadow. When he is one day approached by Savik, a man who shape-shifts between golden eagle and human forms, Savik whisks Piŋa away from his mountainous home. With the eagles, Piŋa learns many skills and hard lessons, as well as the details of what would later become the tenements of the Messenger Feast, including the drum, dance, and construction of the qalgi, the ceremonial building. All the while, he yearns to return to his family. In this poignant adventure, the creator employs rhythmic prose that echoes the story’s oral traditions and offers illustrations rendered in rich, textured hues. An author’s note discusses how, like many Iñupiaq songs and dances, the story of the Messenger Feast was banned following the “encroachment of the missionaries into Indigenous territories and communities,” not to be resurrected until Hopson was in college. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Newbery Honor Book
American Indian in Youth Literature Award Honor Book
A NPR Best Book of the Year
An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids
A BookPage Best Middle Grade Book of 2023
A 2024 Notable Book for a Global Society
"A soaring story of family and courage, culture and community, wonder and resilience.” —CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH, anthologist of Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids
“An epic journey in every sense of the word, Eagle Drums is a new classic. Pinja welcomes the reader to travel with him on this treacherous quest and by the time his voyage is complete, you will grieve, struggle, and celebrate alongside him.” —DONNA BARBA HIGUERA, author of Newbery Medal winner The Last Cuentista
“Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson has accomplished something truly monumental. Through her impressive talents as a writer and artist, Rainey shares cultural teachings and, indeed, the art of storytelling with readers of all ages. Eagle Drums is a masterpiece!” —ANGELINE BOULLEY, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Firekeeper's Daughter
“Tears at this beautiful story. Where were these books when I was a teen?!” —CAROLE LINDSTROM, author of Caldecott Medal winner We Are Water Protectors
"Eagle Drums is a deeply compelling folktale brought to life. Readers of any age will be swept away by this fascinating story."—DAN GEMEINHART, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Children
“"I'll read anything Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson writes. She never fails to pull me in and keep me guessing as to what will happen next. Her masterful storytelling in Eagle Drums is superb and not to be missed.” —TRACI SORRELL, award-winning author of Indian No More
★ "Eagle Drums marks the impressive debut of a gifted writer. Rainey gives readers an engrossing, exciting look into Iñupiaq culture while offering invaluable lessons about the power of community, kinship and celebrations." —BookPage, starred review
★ "Iñupiaq author and illustrator Hopson enhances the story with full-page color illustrations that visually connect readers with Piŋa’s journey and emphasize the importance of connections to nature, spiritual beings, and human relatives." —Kirkus, starred review
★ "An authentic, beautiful Alaska Native tale presented as a novel perfect for upper elementary students." —SLJ, starred review
"The narrative showcases a treasury of details about Native Alaskan life and traditions; enthralling details of building design, clothing, crafts, food storage, nutrition, transportation, and other day-to-day practices in the Arctic will appeal to survival story afficionados as well as readers eager to learn about Indigenous cultures and histories." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"In this poignant adventure, the creator employs rhythmic prose that echoes the story’s oral traditions and offers illustrations rendered in rich, textured hues." —Publishers Weekly
"Hopson deftly describes smells (the autumn earth, the “dusty rot” of the Eagle Mother), tastes (berries, roasted caribou meat, bitter Arctic hare fed on willow bark), and sounds (marmot whistles, bumblebees) that bring the land to life for the reader and ground this archetypal hero’s journey in the real world." —Horn Book
"In her debut, Hopson offers a culturally specific survival story that should have much appeal; an author's note clarifies the source for this tale." —Booklist
School Library Journal
★ 12/08/2023
Gr 3–6—In this novelization of a traditional Iñupiaq tale, a boy named Piŋa is out hunting alone when approached by an eagle who transforms into a man. Following this eagle, he spends a year and a half learning new skills such as drumming, singing, dancing, and building large shelters. Those skills add to the thorough knowledge of survival and respect for animals that he has learned from his parents. Eventually, he takes these lessons back to his parents and together they share them with the Iñupiat people. Told in beautiful prose, this story evocatively describes life in the arctic, skillfully showing the frustrations and the beauty through Piŋa's eyes. The pace is slow but consistent with a satisfying surprise at the end. Occasional full-page color illustrations are simple but add to the charm and help provide imagery for readers unfamiliar with the arctic. Across the tops of chapters are traditional imagery such as arrows and ulu knives in repeating patterns. Author Hopson draws on her own Iñupiat heritage and worked with several elders, detailed in her author's note, to share this tale that forms the basis of the most important traditional Iñupiat feast. VERDICT An authentic, beautiful Alaska Native tale presented as a novel perfect for upper elementary students.—Elizabeth Nicolai
NOVEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
Narrator Irene Bedard--who is of Iñupiaq, Yu'pik, Cree, and French Canadian heritage--brings vocal authenticity to Iñupiaq author/illustrator Nasugraq Rainey Hopson's debut novel. When a boy is kidnapped by a golden eagle who turns into a man, he is challenged to live, rather than die like his two older brothers. Adopting the sonorous delivery of an oral storyteller, Bedard catches listeners up in the boy's terror and determination as he learns the eagle's complicated songs and dances and then goes back to the tundra to bring all its people together for a great feast. (Listeners curious about the story's traditional origins can read further in the print edition's author's note.) The particulars of Arctic life ground the boy's supernatural adventure, welcoming listeners into his world. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-07-13
The Iñupiaq origin story of the Messenger Feast and a boy who was kidnapped by eagles.
Throughout Piŋa’s childhood, he was told haunting stories about the dangers of strangers, an unknown presence in the mountains near his family’s sod house, and his missing older brothers, Atau and Maliġu. His mother’s projection of his brothers’ successes onto him combined with his father’s silence, both expressions of their grieving, leave Piŋa wondering, “How can you compete with someone’s memories, anyway?” One day, Savik, who shape-shifts between man and golden eagle, offers Piŋa a choice: death or captivity. Piŋa reflects on the pain his death would cause his parents. He decides to go with Savik and try to return someday. The eagles teach Piŋa singing, drumming, and dancing. He also learns how to build a giant sod house and host a huge feast. The lessons aren’t easy, and his ego is challenged: “I learned not to lead with demands. I learned to lead with connections.” Piŋa struggles with fear and distrust instilled by his family, overcomes self-doubt, and becomes both “creator and learner.” This orally transmitted tale, once banned like the feast it describes, offers a deep connection to rich cultural teachings. Iñupiaq author and illustrator Hopson enhances the story with full-page color illustrations that visually connect readers with Piŋa’s journey and emphasize the importance of connections to nature, spiritual beings, and human relatives.
A captivating tale filled with enduring lessons about overcoming the fear of others. (author’s note) (Folklore. 8-12)
