This book is based on a true Ojibwe story during a time when people started disappearing from a village. It gives readers a glimpse of Ojibwe life and how their people responded to the problem of their people's disappearance. I liked the twist at the end when the windigo came back. I think this book would be too scary for Pre-K and kindergarten; I would use it with children from first to fifth grade. ( )

Summary: This book tells the legend of the Windigo, a man-eating being that threatened the Ojibwe Indians long ago. The Ojibwe people trapped the Windigo and burned it into ash, then scattered it to the winds to rid themselves of the creature. But the Windigo returned, as it had vowed it would, but in the form of mosquitoes, which return every summer to eat the Ojibwe people.

Review: This story was one that I have not heard before; though I have heard of Windigos, I am unfamiliar with this particular legend. I found this book to be a wonderful retelling of an American Indian legend, beautifully illustrated, and written in the simple but resonant language that only old legends have.

Central Idea of The Windigo's Return: Evil can never be truly vanquished; it will always return in some form. ( )