Wabi: a Hero's Tale

By Joseph Bruchac
Rating: 3 3/4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Wabi is an owl who is fascinated with humans, particularly the Abenaki tribe that lives in a village nearby. He takes pains to watch and listen to them, and to help protect them when monsters of legend prowl nearby. But after years pass, Wabi realizes that he has fallen in love with Dojihla, one of the Abenaki girls. He seeks out his wise great-grandmother and she tells him that members of his family have been able to transform from owl to human and from human to owl. After determining this is what he truly wants to do, his great-grandmother tells him how it is done. But once Wabi is human, how can he go about winning this girl he has loved from afar? His road to becoming a hero is a hard one, filled with monsters, wolves, battles and many other trials. Wabi's own story is one from which legends are born. For those who like a story based on the stuff of myth and legend, this may be the story for you.