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Schachner, Judith Byron . Yo, Vikings! New York : Dutton Children's Books, 2002. Emma lives in a world of wonder that the cynics and realists have not destroyed. Wonder is a marvelous land of believing where even the adults are wizards and mages. Like Joseph Campbell's hero, Emma is on a mythic adventure. Her quest wins her knowledge, friends, and a gift of epic proportions. A school assignment on world discoverers expands Emma's universe. She plunders the library, gathers knowledge and soon she becomes Emma the Red, Viking explorer. Yo, Vikings! is a celebration of story telling both oral and written. Emma hears stories from Mr. Sigurd, the children's librarian, and he directs her to the old tales of Norse history and mythology. She reads stacks of books, then takes notes and draws pictures illustrating what she is learning. She then enthralls her younger brother with stories of dragons, Viking longships , and sword fights. Judith Byron Schachner's tale introduces some major heroes and gods of Norse history and mythology. For her school report, Emma learns about Erik the Red's journey to Greenland and about his son, Leif Eriksson. Emma is proud to report that Leif came to North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus. In story time, Mr. Sigurd, Emma's helper figure, tells the children of Sigurd, the strong and courageous Norse warrior, and his heroic fight against the dragon Fafnir . Mr. Sigurd does not mention the name of the hero. By looking carefully at Mr. Sigurd's book in the illustration, the reader will see that the dragon slaying hero's name is Sigurd. In her journal, Emma shows Sigurd holding a shield that says “librarian” as he fights the dragon Fafnir . The god Odin is introduced as a giver of gifts and riding his eight legged horse, though no mention is made of his grimmer, darker qualities. The author makes allusions to numerous Viking characters and traditions , leaving a bread trail of hints for further study. For example Emma lives in Alfheim (home of the light elves), PA and there is a song that mentions Niflheim (the dark world). Emma gets her gift, a boat, from Mr. Sindri (in Scandinavian legend, Sindri was a maker of gifts for the gods). Mr. Sindri placed a classified ad to sell the boat for $7,000 or best offer that states “buy or burn”. Emma offers a $128 and a heartfelt plea for the boat not to be burned (in Nordic funerary tradition). Ravens are featured throughout the books and are common in Nordic legend. Odin is often seen with his two raven companions, Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory). The story mentions the “wisdom of the birds” which refers to the ravens that told Sigurd his companion was going to kill him. A raven's image is also shown on the Viking ship's sail. Judith Byron Schachner is the author and illustrator of Yo, Vikings! The front cover shows Emma hugging the dragon figurehead of a Viking ship. Her brother, wearing a colander (in lieu of a Viking helmet), accompanies her. The drawing continues on the back cover where the reader will see the multiracial cast of characters in Yo, Vikings! The cover, while attention grabbing, does show the reader that this is an adventure story about Vikings. The book has a traditional layout of text and illustrations. Yet every few pages a double page spread swirls forth the boundless joys, hopes, and fears of Emma's imagination. The mixed media drawings are bright and detailed. There is clever use of collage material, such as a piece of a map of Norway on a leopard's hat and printed text in a book. Some of the Norse elements such as Jotuns (giants), Gimle (heaven), and Havamal (a Viking poem) are explained on the title page where an illustration of two pages of Emma's notebook acts as a guidebook to the story that we are about to enter. Readers will enjoy studying the illustrations. A clear difference is visible in the illustrations meant to be by Emma and the illustrations of Emma. The former are childish and girly (hearts and flowers) while the later are more realistic. The art enhances the story by including additional or supportive information. On one page, Emma wears a shirt that proclaims “Leif Landed First.” On another page, Emma is regaling her brother with a story and just as the Jotuns are going to crush them, their mother calls, “suppertime”. The illustration perfectly complements the story right down to the word “suppertime” in the Jotun's mouth even as he grasps the brother's playtime cape. The author also includes self-referential promotion by including several of her other books in the picture of the library. Yo, Vikings! explores the childhood experiences of awe and wonder and is appropriate for ages about five to ten. The reader is invited to come along on an adventure with a young, female hero. Emma might hearten children, especially young girls, to learn and read for the joy of the adventure, just when girls need the encouragement. Interestingly, Judith Byron Schachner's fantastic story is a retelling of a family story; her daughter Emma actually did have a Viking ship in the back yard for a number of years. The truth in this story may lead other girls and boys to try new things, to learn for fun, and to believe in their dreams. An Author's note briefly describes Viking raiding and pillaging. Yo, Vikings! will inspire readers to do some exploring of Viking lore of their own at the library. |
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