Customer Reviews

With Pipe, Paddle, and Song: A Story of the French-Canadian Voyageurs

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this to my children over eight years ago and to this day my son still remembers the spirit and strength of these voyageurs. At the time we were living in another country, experiencing a taste of what it is like to mix cultures. The book opened new windows of thought for us; shaping inclusive attitudes through a culture we never knew existed. Now at 16, this same son also has renewed appreciation for the physical stamina of these canoing men as he too is learning to ply a canoe in less challenging waters!

This book is one you'll want your teenage son to read and relate to. He'll learn such values as hard work, being dependable and cheerful, fortitude, and saving yourself for the right person.

Two of my favorite quotes from this book are: "Each word must be distinct. It is a courtesy to speak so one can be understood; it is an art so to sing." (The father speaking to the protagonist.)

"He who will not settle for second best but waits for the best will find it waiting for him... Love must be all or it is nothing."

There is plenty of adventure and action in this uplifting book. How knows, it may even kindle a desire to learn French or to go canoeing!

Book is a recommended reading as part of our history curriculum. We are looking forward to reading it together as a family.

This book is fun and entertaining! I learned a lot about the voyageurs from it too and it helped me when I was writing about my ancestor, Pierre Desroucher, The Voyageur who also paddled on the voyaging canoes during the opening up of the Lake Athabasca Region.

What world to live in? How to find your fortune? These are questions that every young person faces. This book shows how one young man worked through the decision process making it very valuable to any young reader.

This book is a waste of paper and simply repeating the old English racist slurs against French-Canadians. Don't waste your money on this garbage.