• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3
• Reading age: 6 to 8

The dog shows up the way snow does on a winter's day.

She just drifts in and stays, becoming the friend of a young Cree boy. The boy and the dog set out on an adventure that ends in a quandary involving quills and a big brother who swears to take revenge on the porcupine. But Lindy, a Cree elder and master carver, reminds the brothers of the importance of the great porcupine. After a day spent carving in town, the boy learns some truths about human nature and realizes that sometimes, like the porcupine, you must put your quills up to keep from getting pushed around.

Soapstone Porcupine is the second book, after Soapstone Signs, narrated by a young Cree boy. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Jeff Pinkney's profile page

Darlene Gait's profile page

Jeff Pinkney likes to be out in a canoe or on his mountain bike on forest trails. He has met a few porcupines along the way. He is an amateur stone carver, having learned the art from a Cree elder who provided him with his first piece of soapstone. Jeff carved a bear cub. He also writes poetry and is a proud member of the Live Poets of Haliburton County. Soapstone Porcupine is the second novel in the Soapstone Signs series. The stories draw on Jeff’s experiences while living and traveling as a development consultant in Canada’s James Bay Frontier, where he acquired a deep appreciation for the people and the landscape. He knows firsthand what it’s like to be a little brother and a big brother too. Jeff is husband to Leslie and father to Maarika, Alexandra and Isabella.

&quotOffers insight to the Cree culture. Recommended.&quot

School Library Connection

"Soapstone Porcupine will add value to any school library, public library or home library. Readers will learn about the way of life for people of a James Bay Cree community and learn parts of the Moose Cree language. This book is perfect for the young reader ready to read independently. "

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"The integration of the Cree language and representation of a contemporary Cree family is laudable and something not often seen in chapter books."

School Library Journal (SLJ)

"This book provides a great way to learn new words in Cree, as there are several words in Cree used throughout the book, which are in a pronunciation guide at the end."

Resource Links

"A quiet tale about a sensitive soul."

Kirkus Reviews