Stella Calahasen,
Dream Catcher
Theytus Books, 2009.

Rating: A*

Every night, Marin has the same nightmare: a giant spider with white fangs towers over her, about to catch her in a sticky web. Marin’s grandmother, or Kohkom, suggests taking Marin to visit a Cree Elder to see if he can help, so Marin and her mother make the trip to the reserve to meet Maskwa. Maskwa guides Marin through the Cree rituals for prayer, helps her make an offering to the Creator, and explains to her the myth of the Spider Woman, who protects sleepers from bad dreams using her web. Maskwa suggests that Kohkom teach her granddaughter how to make a Dream Catcher, which will act like the Spider Woman’s web and protect Marin from nightmares. When Marin sleeps underneath her new Dream Catcher for the first time, she meets the Spider Woman in her dreams. Together they defeat the monsters that get caught in the Dream Catcher’s web, and Marin has a peaceful sleep at last.

Everyone can relate to the terror of nightmares, and Calahasen does a wonderful job of recreating that tension and fear for her readers. In fact, readers who already have an aversion to spiders may find the first chapter of Dream Catcher almost too intense. Unfortunately, despite a strong beginning, Calahasen’s dialogue is often awkward and stilted, which detracts from her story. For example, Marin refers to the creature in her nightmares as the "she-spider", which would be an unusual phrase for most children. However, as a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation, Stella Calahasen’s authentic descriptions of Cree culture and traditions in Dream Catcher will interest both Cree and non-Cree readers alike. The glossary included in the back of the book will help readers understand the various Cree words and phrases used throughout the story.

Recommended for public and school libraries, especially those with First Nations clients.

Thematic Links: Spiders; Nightmares; First Nations; Dream Catchers

Roseanne Gauthier
Vol. 15, number 4
April 2010

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.