The Cremation of Sam McGee
by Robert W. Service
illustrated by Ted Harrison
- Winner, Notable Book, American Library Association,
- Winner, Best Book Selection, The New York Times
In 1986 Kids Can Press published an edition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" illustrated by painter Ted Harrison, who used his signature broad brushstrokes and unconventional choice of color to bring this gritty narrative poem to life. Evoking both the spare beauty and the mournful solitude of the Yukon landscape, Harrison's paintings proved the perfect match for Service's masterpiece about a doomed prospector adrift in a harsh land. Harrison's Illustrator's Notes on each page enhanced both poem and illustrations by adding valuable historical background. Upon its original publication, many recognized the book as an innovative approach to illustrating poetry for children. For years The Cremation of Sam McGee has stood out as a publishing landmark, losing none of its appeal both as a read-aloud and as a work of art. Kids Can Press proudly publishes this deluxe hardcover twentieth anniversary edition -- complete with a spot-varnished cover, new cover art and heavy coated stock -- of a book that remains as entrancing as a night sky alive with the vibrant glow of the Northern Lights.
close this panelNo poem that I can think of, especially a comic one, was ever rendered so electrifyingly in paint
There are strange things done in the midnight sunBy the men who moil for books;The Arctic trails have their secret talesthat could give you second looks,The Northern Lights have seen their sightsBut the wisest they ever did seeWas the day in’06, complete with great pixThey reissued Sam McGee.
[G]orgeously illustrated — [A] wonderful new edition ... Harrison’s pictures are startling and memorable
There are strange things done in the midnight sunBy the men who moil for books;The Arctic trails have their secret talesthat could give you second looks,The Northern Lights have seen their sightsBut the wisest they ever did seeWas the day in’06, complete with great pixThey reissued Sam McGee.
[G]orgeously illustrated — [A] wonderful new edition ... Harrison’s pictures are startling and memorable
No poem that I can think of, especially a comic one, was ever rendered so electrifyingly in paint
close this panel
