Straightway from the Shining Wigwam
Came the mighty Megissogwon,
Tall of stature, broad of shoulder,
Dark and terrible in aspect,
Clad from head to foot in wampum,
Armed with all his warlike weapons,
Painted like the sky of morning,
Streaked with crimson, blue, and yellow,
Crested with great eagle-feathers,
Streaming upward, streaming outward.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's book-length poem, The Song of Hiawatha, is based on the legends of the Anishinabe Nation, stories that have been told since long before Europeans came to this land. In the episode Hiawatha and Megissogwon, the hero Hiawatha, son of the West Wind, is grown to manhood—a powerful figure, righting wrongs and vanquishing demons. Inspired by his grandmother, Nokomis, he travels into a desolate land to challenge an evil magician. Hiawatha slays serpents, evades ghosts, and finally confronts the mighty Megissogwon. Jeffrey Thompson's evocative scratch-board and computer color illustrations combine with Longfellow's stirring poetry to create a stunning picture book that will capture the imaginations and inspire the brave good deeds of children of all ages.

From the dust jacket