"Paddle-to-the-Sea" is a unique Caldecott winning children's book by author Holling Clancy Holling that has been both turned into a movie, as well as a narrated story, available on CD Audiobook. The story was originally written in 1941 and tells the story of a travelling canoe carved by an Aboriginal boy in Canada. This particular version is narrated by Terry Bregy, who has no apparent connection with any First Nations community, nor identifies with being Aboriginal himself.
There are several factors that parents, educators, and children should be aware of when listening to this adventure. While the story is extremely educational and fascinating (especially since the main character is a canoe, who reflects a young boy), there are features of this story that may portray Aboriginal people in a stereotypical and unflattering manner.
First off, the story never directly names the creator of the canoe, but rather leaves the reader to imagine a generic "Indian boy" which allows room for misrepresentation that all Aboriginal children are interchangeable and similar in nature. However, it must be remembered that this book was written years ago, when attitudes and beliefs about First Nations people were significantly different than they are today.
Secondly, the author uses language and scenarios that depict Aboriginal culture in a stereotypical way. The Canadian boy lives in a small dwelling, with visual descriptions of his lifestyle adhering to popular notions of Aboriginal people living simplistically, without the advancements of Western culture (2011). Other First Nations topics are included as well, such as the idea of the "Sun Spirit". This is slightly problematic, as it is unlikely that the author at the time was very familiar and connected with the culture he was representing. Most children would be completely unaware of these elements though. Adults are often blind to racist undertones; the review of this audio book by Publishers Weekly fails to mention any reason to be critical of the themes covered.
In total, while the story is a wonderful adventure spanning a marvelous geographic area, the reader should be wary of how the characters are depicted.
References:
Holling, C. H., (2004). Paddle-to-the-Sea. [Recorded by Terry Bregy]. [CD]. Northport, Maine: Audio Bookshelf.
PB Works. (2011). Children's literature book reviews: Paddle-to-the-sea. Available online at
http://reviews-of-childrens-literature.pbworks.com/w/page/10581708/Paddle%20to%20the%20Sea
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