Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Somewhere in the Arctic Circle, Sixteen-Face John, a shaman, learns that his first child, a soonchild, cannot hear the World Songs from her mother's womb. The World Songs are what inspire all newborns to come out into the world, and John must find them for her. But how? The answer takes him through many lifetimes and many shape-shifts, as well as encounters with beasts, demons and a mysterious benevolent owl spirit, Ukpika, who is linked to John's past ... Legendary storyteller, Russell Hoban whisks his readers across frozen landscapes, to the edges of cliffs, into tiny rocky crannies, and down into the belly of a great swallowing demon - and has them laughing and weeping by turns along the way.
Is Soonchild appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
Parents should know this lyrical fable features a shaman's spiritual quest through shape-shifting and encounters with demons and spirits. Violence is mythic rather than graphic (swallowing demons, perilous journeys) and the tone is mystical and folkloric.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include demons and peril.
Who'll love this
Kids will be drawn into the magical Arctic setting and the shaman's shape-shifting adventures as he tries to help his unborn daughter hear the songs that will bring her into the world.