A beautiful story of how this unique fossil, found only on the shores of Lake Michigan, got its name. The word “Petosegay” in the Ottawa language means “rays of the rising sun” or “sunbeams of promise.” The Legend of the Petoskey Stone tells the tale of a man named after this word and how his extraordinary life inspired the name of a town as well as the treasured stone. From the ancient, warm sea that covered most of the state, through Native American history and the history of the town named after a great chief, The Legend of the Petoskey Stone blends read-aloud storytelling and undeniably beautiful art work to share with all of us the promise of a new day. Instructions for how to polish a Petoskey stone are included in the back. Grade 2-5–In 1787, on the shores of northern Michigan, a son is born to an Odawa princess and a French fur trader. As he grows, he becomes a skilled hunter and trader, and is so respected by the people in the area that their town is named after him. The story is pleasant and the artwork excellent but the value of this book as an authentic native legend is uncertain. It is simple enough to prove the factual existence of Chief Ignatius Petosegay, and perhaps even to establish him as the namesake of the town and the fossilized coral remnants referenced in the title. Unfortunately, since the author does not provide any sources, there is no indication that this tale accurately represents any traditional story of the Anishinabe peoples in Michigan. While the writing flows well, especially for reading aloud, the story seems a little too simplistic at face value. Frankenhuyzen's paintings are undeniably beautiful, full-page bleeds that cover each spread, with text well placed in unoccupied areas. As with The Legend of Sleeping Bear (Sleeping Bear, 1998) and other books by this author-illustrator team, Petoskey is sure to be scooped up by local legend lovers. The lack of documentation, however, prevents it from being considered a real gem. –Sean George, Memphis-Shelby County Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, TN Kathy-jo Wargin is the author of more than 45 books and has earned national acclaim through award-winning children's classics such as Michigan's official state book, The Legend of Sleeping Bear, Children's Choice Award winner The Legend of the Loon, The Edmund Fitzgerald: Song of the Bell, and many others. Kathy-jo enjoys writing about nature, folklore, and its effect on all our lives. She is a frequent guest speaker and presenter for associations, school districts, and conferences throughout the country. She lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen was born in the Netherlands in 1951. With his seven brothers and sisters, he grew up exploring nature and his sketch pads were filled with observations from those family outings. Always drawing as a young boy, his father encouraged Gijsbert to make art his career. After high school, he attended and graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Arnhem, Holland. Gijsbert, or "Mr. Nick" as many children affectionately call him during his school visits, immigrated to the United States in 1976 and worked as Art Director for the Michigan Natural Resources Magazine for 17 years. In 1995, he illustrated his first children's book, The Legend of Sleeping Bear , finally fullfilling his dream of illustrating children's books. Residing in Bath, Michigan, Nick and his family share their 40-acre farm with sheep, horses, dogs, cats, turkeys, rabbits, chickens, pigeons and a revolving door of orphaned and injured wild life. The family's nature journals logged 20 years of wild life rehabilitation on the farm and it is through these journals that the popular Hazel Ridge series was created. The farm, the land and the animals make great subjects for the artist to paint. Mr. Nick travels to schools and conferences to share his passion for drawing—encouraging kids to make their hobby their career. Suitable for: Grades 2 to 5 Page Count: 40 Size: 9 x 11 inches