"There are strange things done/in the midnight sun/By the men who moil for gold;/The Arctic trails have their secret tales/that would make your blood run cold;/The Northern Lights/have seen queer sights,/But the queerest they ever did see/was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge/I cremated Sam McGee." A famous Yukon poet's humorous poem is introduced to a new generation in a handsome 12¼"x 9¼" edition illustrated on every page with full-color art by Yukon artist Ted Harrison. Notes about the details of Harrison's striking, vibrant images also appear on every double spread. (Age 7 and older)

In 1986 Kids Can Press published an edition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" illustrated by painter Ted Harrison, who used his signature broad brushstrokes and unconventional choice of color to bring this gritty narrative poem to life. Evoking both the spare beauty and the mournful solitude of the Yukon landscape, Harrison's paintings proved the perfect match for Service's masterpiece about a doomed prospector adrift in a harsh land. Harrison's Illustrator's Notes on each page enhanced both poem and illustrations by adding valuable historical background.
Upon its original publication, many recognized the book as an innovative approach to illustrating poetry for children. For years The Cremation of Sam McGee has stood out as a publishing landmark, losing none of its appeal both as a read-aloud and as a work of art. Kids Can Press proudly publishes this deluxe hardcover twentieth anniversary edition -- complete with a spot-varnished cover, new cover art and heavy coated stock -- of a book that remains as entrancing as a night sky alive with the vibrant glow of the Northern Lights.