the Hunters live. Mr. Longridge wrote several historical books, is a writer by profession, and a bachelor. The Hunter Family: The Hunter Family consists of the father Jim, the mother and their two children, 11-year-old Peter and nine-year-old Elizabeth. Jim owns Luath, Elizabeth owns Tao, and Peter owns Bodger. Mrs. Oakes: Mrs. Oakes is the owner of the three animals while John is gone on his trip. The Nurmi Family: The Nurmi family is a family of Finnish immigrants. Ten-year-old Helvi discovers Tao unconscious in the river by her house, after he had been swept up by flotsam from a broken beaver dam while trying to swim across with the dogs upstream. Her family nurses him back to health, and he stays with them a few days before moving on. The Mackenzies: James and Nell Mackenzie are elderly farmers who live alone, now that their eight children have grown, and they are instrumental in helping the dogs to survive. Bodger charms his way into their home and their pantry, and Luath appears soon afterward, his instincts leading him to fetch for James while he is duck hunting. James removes porcupine quills from Luath's muzzle, allowing the dog to recover and continue his journey. Tao is present at the farm while his companions rest and recover, and instrumental in freeing the dogs from the barn, but he is unseen by the Mackenzies. The Lynx: The Lynx tried to attack and eat Tao, but a hunter killed him, without realizing Tao was in a rabbits den the Lynx was digging into. Farm Dog: The Farm Dog was a vicious and mean sheepdog who attacked Luath, but Bodger intervened and fended him off. Bear cub: The Bear cub thought Bodger was a toy and pawed at him with his sharp claws until Tao intervened and tried to protect him. Mother Bear: The Mother Bear tried to protect her cub when Tao attacked him until she was chased off by Luath. Awards 1963 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award winner 1963 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award winner 1963 American Library Association Aurianne Award winner 1964 International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) honour See also Animal navigation References 1961 British novels British children's novels British novels adapted into films Children's novels about animals Novels set in Northern Ontario Hodder & Stoughton books 1961 children's books Novels about cats