The Messenger of Spring is Mohawk artist and author C. J. Taylor’s retelling of a Chippewa/ Ojibway allegory of the seasons. Iceman, the incarnation of winter, is already feeling diminished when New Dawn arrives at his camp, but at his young visitor’s request, he musters his remaining energy to sing about his powers. As New Dawn reciprocates with a song of his own prowess, Iceman recedes until all that remains of him are his voice and his gift to spring: the wild portulaca flower that brings beauty and the first food of the season.

In the background information that Taylor provides at the end of the book, she names Dee Brown’s collection of tales as her source for the legend. A comparison between the two versions shows that Taylor has adapted the legend specifically for a young readership. For instance, she has changed the tone of the dialogue between Iceman and New Dawn from the slight bravado of Brown’s version to one of filial respect. She has added small details that would appeal to children, such as the lists of woodland animals that react to the seasons. Finally, she has incorporated a scene of thanksgiving in which a group of people acknowledge the seasons as they gather roots and flowers in the forest. These make for a simple and gentle-toned story whose audience could include younger children than the recommended 8- to 11-year olds.

The most appealing aspect of this book is its graceful correspondence between text and illustrations. For example, as the narrative describes New Dawn’s increasing vitality, Taylor’s paintings show the young man growing taller and the Iceman shrinking to gnomic proportions. The paintings are dynamic as well as detailed: there is energy in the gestures of the human figures and movement in the swirling lines of wind in the skies. Taylor has made expert use of colour to differentiate between seasons and to suggest the continuity between them. Blue and white predominate in the winter scenes, and yellows and greens proliferate in the spring, but even in the warmest scenes, the Iceman’s presence is suggested by a peripheral cluster of white, spindly tree roots. Unfortunately, the least appealing illustration in the book was chosen for the cover. While the vibrant red and yellow dawn sky provides an appealing background here, a close-up of New Dawn’s face creates an off-putting focal point, because the hero of the moment looks uncharacteristically dazed instead of triumphant.