Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights

This book was wonderful for many reasons; the illustrations were fabulous in detail and selection of colors, the story is simple yet touching, but most of all I have a personal connection: I have a granddaughter named Aurora (a name given to her by her mother) and my Aurora was born on the day an aurora borialis shone brightly here in Michigan (November 7, 2005)! I love the author's use of dancing word pictures, especially between Aurora and the lone caribou, our family is also a "dance" family. Thank you for this story!

My mom bought me this book when I was younger because my name is Aurora. It is a really good book and the only one I have read where the main character has my name. It is, in essence, a folk tale of how the aurora borealis came to be. A girl, Aurora, must travel by herself across the Arctic, and so she puts the different colors from the sky in her pocket. Different times of the day have different colors--pink, green, blue, and so on. When she comes to a place where the sun becomes dark blue (as there is no nightfall where she and her family live), she releases the colors so she won't be afraid. The colors help her family find her, and they stayed there and were named after her. At the end of the book is some simple information about the story and about the aurora borealis. Every child should read this book--especially if their name is Aurora.

Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a beautifully written and stunningly illustrated original tale of the origin of the Aurora Borealis. The author, Mindy Dwyer has obviously been inspired by the beauty, grandeur, and mystery of her Alaskan environment. Elementary students of all ages will enjoy reading and listening to the descriptive narrative as they admire the colorful, unforgettable watercolor illustrations. Further, the story will inspire students to create their own legends and tales of natural occurrences. In the tale, Aurora, who lives where the sun never sets, longs to see the darkness she has heard about from her Grandmother. A caribou leads her on a long journey. As she is traveling, Aurora collects colors from the daylight sky to help her feel warm and safe. She finally reaches the place where the sun dips below the edge of the earth, and she views the mysterious darkness. Aurora flings the colors she has collected into the dark sky, and as they dance across the sky, she plays with them. The story weaves the spirit of adventure into an appealing tale of courage. Even though Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a fanciful story, the book has a glossary of the very real scientific concepts introduced in the tale. As a teacher, I recommend the book to elementary students and to teachers who want to inspirie their students to read and write.