Sage and the Snowshoe Express

An action-packed picture book inspired by the true experiences of Indigenous mail carriers.

One winter, the weather is so bad in Sage’s remote village that the mail can’t be delivered to or from the neighboring community for many weeks. But then, on a clear morning, Sage’s father decides he’ll have enough time before the next storm arrives to transport everyone’s letters and packages on the Snowshoe Express, a dogsled pulled by Nimoosh. When Sage finds an overlooked package in the snow and runs to catch up, she gets to go, too. But then they have a frightening encounter with wolves in the woods, a fast-moving storm threatens to overtake them, and Sage’s excitement turns to fear. Will they (and the mail) be able to get to the other village safely?

This compelling, edge-of-the-seat adventure story is based on the life of author Louise Bradford’s Anishinaabe and French great-great-grandfather, who delivered mail by snowshoe and sled. It offers children an excellent introduction to the important, and often treacherous, work of Indigenous mail carriers, bringing to life a lesser-known part of Indigenous history. Artwork by award-winning illustrator Maya McKibbin perfectly captures Sage’s range of emotions and vividly portrays the snow-covered landscape in shades of blue and white. The story features cultural details in the illustrations as well as Anishinaabemowin words, with a glossary. An author’s note and an introduction from the former chief of Batchewana First Nation, the community of the author’s ancestor, are also included. There are numerous curriculum links throughout to social studies and Indigenous history lessons.