TALE SPINNERS IN A SPRUCE TIPI Evalyn Gautreau. Ottawa, Borealis Press, c1981. 72pp, paper, $16.95 (cloth), $8.95 (paper). ISBN 0-88887-075-2 (cloth), 0-88887-061-2 (paper). Grades 6 and up. Reviewed by Esther Hutchison. Volume 12 Number 1 1984 January Over a period of eight years, Evalyn Gautreau accompanied her husband on visits to the Dogrib Indians near Great Slave Lake. Friendships and insights developed over this period resulted in this collection of eleven legends. They cover typical themes, ranging from the origin of the Dogrib tribe to the story of how a Dogrib became the man in the moon. There is even a superhero, Akeezeelee, with his magical jacket of scaly skin. The barrenlands setting, dependence on the caribou, and other aspects of daily life are well described as background to the stories. In the preface, the author tells us that she has tried to retain the dignified tone of the original myths. Unfortunately, this attempt is not always successful. The quality of writing is uneven and occasional constructions are confusing. The vocabulary is advanced for the subject matter. For these reasons, coupled with the fact that there are no illustrations, the book might be most useful as a sourcebook for a teacher or storyteller. It does endeavour to fill a gap in many collections, so is recommended with the above reservations. Esther Hutchison, Rocky Mountain House, AB.