• Age: 3 to 6
• Grade: p to 1

Skookum Sal comes from a long line of log birlers. Her brother, Skookum Sam, is a log birler. Her daddy is a log birler, as was his daddy and his daddy before him. So it's only fitting that when Sal turned 11 years old she thought she would become a log birler too.

First Sal has to convince her daddy to teach her how to be log birler--because Sal is a girl, and she's only 11, and she's only five feet tall. A little at a time, she shows her daddy she has muscle power, balance and craft, all necessary qualities for a champion birler.

After some hard-learned lessons, lots of practice and some help from her daddy, her brother Sam and her sparring partner Flora, Sal learns the craft well. But is she good enough to beat a big, burly logger with size 13 boots at the Lands End logging sports day?

This charming story for children aged five to nine follows the tall-tale tradition of such larger-than-life legends as Paul Bunyan. Whimsical colour illustrations transport the reader into the big woods, the frog pond where Sal learns to birl and the sports day fairgrounds full of boom men and bull cooks. Skookum Sal, Birling Gal delights as it demonstrates that children can achieve their dreams--with lots of hard work and help from friends and family.

Heather's love of storytelling began on her parents' farm in Ontario where the animals were great listeners and the source of many stories. After Heather graduated from university, she moved west with fellow mountaineer Rolf Kellerhals to the mountains they loved. Working with children in group and foster homes and then having a family kept Heather busy, but she kept one ear tuned to storytelling until her first book was published. Eventually Heather and Rolf waved goodbye to big city life in Edmonton and Vancouver and moved to Quadra Island where they have a farm and woodlot. And what stories of forest, mountains and sea are waiting there to be told!

Heather's dad also played the bagpipes!

Heather Kellerhals-Stewart's profile page

Janice Blaine has spent 4 years creating animation for CD ROM and television. As a Fine Arts graduate with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and the Vancouver Film School Janice won numerous scholarships and awards. She lives in Vancouver with her husband.

Janice Blaine's profile page

"...This charming story for children six to ten follows the tradition of such larger-than-life legends as Paul Bunyan."
-Edgar Dunning, Delta Optimist

Delta Optimist

"...both pictures and words are fiesty and sure-footed."
-John Burns, Georgia Straight

Georgia Straight

"...This is a B.C. book through and through and aptly celebrates the skills of those that work in the woods."
-Paula Wild, Comox Valley Review

Comox Valley Review