First published 2014
Tuk grows up carefree among his bighorn sheep band, racing and playing on familiar mountain slopes. Everything changes when he spots a distant blue peak to the west. His herd needs new territory, and Tuk becomes their unlikely guide. The journey tests him at every turn. Wolves, bears, and pumas hunt the traveling sheep. Human roads and settlements block traditional routes. Swamps and thick forests force dangerous detours. Tuk's own band questions his leadership. His horns have barely grown in, and rivals challenge his decisions. Little Mouf peppers him with questions he cannot answer. Pregnant Sham needs to reach safe lambing grounds before her baby arrives. The responsibility weighs heavily on Tuk's young shoulders. He finds support from Rim, his closest friend, and Dall, a wise ewe who believes in him. As predators close in and obstacles multiply, Tuk must prove he can lead his family to safety. The blue mountain represents more than new grazing land. It promises a place where bighorn sheep can live free from human interference, sustained by what the wilderness provides.
Genres: fiction, family, animals, adventure, coming-of-age, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, unlikely-hero
Setting: Blue Mountain, Mountain Slopes
176 pages · Paperback · Groundwood Books