Branch of the Talking Teeth Review
Volume 1 Number 1
June 16, 1995
Moore, Ishbel
Branch of the Talking Teeth
Montreal: Roussan Publishers, 1995. 96pp, paper, $6.95.
ISBN 1-896184-06-5.
excerpt:
In the sky a rainbow appeared and in the man's heart a new understanding grew. When he looked at the woman he saw beautiful hair but a plain face. When he looked into her eyes, into her heart, he saw great beauty and wisdom.
Mo'ag brought the stranger to her chieftain husband and told him about the two other men. The chieftain rewarded the man's curiosity and willingness to learn by giving him one of his daughters and some land beside the river.
But Mo'ag rewarded him with her friendship, and from then on, the stranger and Mo'ag taught the people to look for beauty in the heart, to live in harmony with all creatures, and to work hard at a task until you have mastered it.
That is the story of the fifth tooth, the tooth of Mo'ag. I send heartfelt thanks to Mo'ag for her story.
from Branch of the Talking Teeth
Branch of the Talking Teeth is Winnipeg author Ishbel Moore's third children's book to be published by Roussan Publishers in less than two years. Unlike her previous novels, Summer of the Hand and The Medal, this is not a time-travel adventure, but rather one set in prehistoric time somewhere along the east coast of Canada, presumably in what is now Labrador.
The story's unusual title is taken from Moore's literary invention -- a curved stick with six human teeth attached. The branch serves as a talisman and a memory aide for the community's story-teller, a powerful and important person in this society where oral history and tradition are revered. As Moonhead, the young blond hero who has been mysteriously cast up on the shores of this land (presumably originally from Norway or Iceland) explains, each tooth represents both a story and the famous story-teller who told it. He teaches the stories to Teta, a young girl from the ``Land of the Blue Rock" who chooses to join him as he flees from a pursuing warrior, Soogat, who has challenged him for leadership of the tribe.
While the stories are very simple ones, each teaches an important lesson about survival in the community: heeding the advice of elders; living in harmony with nature, and so on. They emphasise the power stories have on our consciousness, which is the underlying theme of the novel.
The plot around which the stories are woven is not always as satisfying as the stories themselves. Crucial moments in Moonhead and Teta's flight from Soogat are sometimes described so abruptly that suspense is lost. Moonhead's fatal last encounter with Soogat, for example, is over much too quickly, and the critical period that follows is compressed into a couple of paragraphs.
But the conclusion of the book, in which Teta sacrifices herself to preserve the Branch of the Talking Teeth is dramatic and powerful. The burial of Moonhead may be particularly colourful because the novel was partly inspired by the 1973 discovery of an ancient grave site on the Labrador Coast dating back some 7,500 years. Moore has used her fertile imagination to explain the details of what was discovered.
While Ishbel Moore aims her novels at the intermediate age group (grades 4-6), this novel has enough historical content and suspense -- and even a little love-interest -- to appeal to slightly older readers. Unfortunately, the cover, in which the characters appear very young, may discourage older readers from picking up the book.
Grade level: 4-7/ Ages 9-12
about the author:
Ishbel Moore is a young Winnipeg author who was born in Scotland and emigrated to Canada with her family in 1967. She has used her knowledge of Scotland and her interest in Gaelic and Scottish history to enrich her books. Her first two novels for young people, Summer of the Hand and The Medal, were both published by Roussan in 1994. Ishbel Moore has twice won the Canadian Author's Association -- Manitoba Branch -- award for short fiction, in 1993 and 1994. In 1995 she was chosen for one of five ``Women of Distinction" awards by the YM-YWCA of Winnipeg. She is married and has three school-age children.
Helen Norrie is a Winnipeg reviewer and free-lance writer.
Volume 1 Number 1
In this Issue
A message from the editor
News
Canadian Children's Book Week
Information from the Canadian Children's Book Centre
Reviews
- Branch of the Talking Teeth, by Ishbel Moore
- A review by Helen Norrie
- The Book of Changes, by Tim Wynne-Jones
- A review by Val Nielsen
- Canadian Copyright Law, by Lesley Ellen Harris
- A review by Neil Campbell
Articles
- Notables
- The best in books and videos for young people in the last year
Advertising Feature
- Canadian Copyright Law
- Published by McGraw Hill
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