Michigan Legends

A collection of stories drawn from Michigan’s rich folk heritage

Long, long ago, the ancient people of the forest gathered around warm fires and told the tale of a time long past, when the land known as "Michigane" was covered with ice and snow. For thousands of years the cruel North Wind ruled the land North of Up North, chasing away the gentle, benevolent winds from the East, West and South. Winter stayed the whole year round, so nothing could live in Michigane. Not until an old warrior and a young boy traveled through the frigid cold with nothing but warm hearts and an old pair of mittens was there hope that the frozen land would eventually come to life.Trinka Hakes Noble is the noted author of numerous award-winning picture books including The Scarlet Stockings Spy, the ever-popular Jimmy's Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (both featured on Reading Rainbow). Her many awards include ALANotable Children's Book, Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, IRA-CBC Children's Choice, Learning: The Year's Ten Best, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. Trinka makes her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The Legend of Michigan is the 20th book that Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen has illustrated for Sleeping Bear Press. His other titles include The Legend of Sleeping Bear, the #1 Midwest bestselling Legend of the Petoskey Stone, and Texas Bluebonnet runner-up Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot. Gijsbert and his family live in Bath, Michigan.

From tales of pirate treasure to Jimmy Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance, Michigan Myths and Legends makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of the state’s most fascinating and compelling stories. Most people have heard about the Bermuda Triangle, where ships and people disappear without a trace—but few have heard about the equally deadly Great Lakes Triangle, where one-third of all unsolved sea and air disasters in America take place. Night after night, curious onlookers congregate on a remote hill near the Michigan/Wisconsin border to watch for mysterious lights that rise out of the ground, hover, and then disappear. Are the orbs merely optical phenomena created by headlights of passing cars? Or are they spirits returning to haunt where their earthly bodies met their demise? In the mid-1960s, the number of reports to the US Air Force of UFO sightings spiked across the country. Were people seeing unfamiliar technological innovations in aircraft? Had the rising popularity of the new-fangled television’s sci-fi programs sparked Americans’ imaginations? Or were extraterrestrial beings actually responding to signals from newly constructed deep-space radio transmitters?

Motor City Legends explores the rich history of Detroit area and Michigan related competitive sports and individual athletes through the careers of old-time greats as Al Kaline, Doak Walker/Bobby Layne, Gordie Howe, Joe Louis and George Yardley. Also recent legends Barry Sanders, Isiah Thomas, Steve Yzerman, Chauncey Billups, Miquel Cabrera, the Fab Five, defunct teams Michigan Panthers and Detroit Shock, goalie fights, odd Tigers' trades in the 1959/60 seasons, Benton Harbor's House of David baseball teams, and Lions Alex Karras squaring off against pro wrestling bad man Dick the Bruiser. The messy results of Gates Browns' unusual slide into second base. There's the time a rival ball player stole home against the Tigers twice in a single game. Countless items of trivia are presented in this stroll down Michigan Sports Memory Lane. Much of the book centers on a large Who's Who section of many athletic personalities who were raised in Michigan, attended a local school, or played on an athletic team.

Stories and photos that bring the spooky history of Western Michigan to life . . . Western Michigan is home to some of the state’s most picturesque places—and also some of its most chilling tales. Ghost story researcher Amberrose Hammond exposes the mysterious and spirit-ridden world of many beloved Michigan destinations as she skillfully weaves narratives of a world unseen by most. From the lingering spirit forever working in the Grand Theatre and the band of melon-headed children prowling the Saugatuck Dunes State Park to the lights of the Lake Forest Cemetery staircase waiting to reveal one’s place in the afterlife, these tales are sure to give pause to anyone daring enough to experience these hauntingly beautiful spots . . . after dark.

Explores ghosts and haunted places, local legends, cursed roads, crazy characters, and unusual roadside attractions found in Michigan.

Myths of Hiawatha, Oneata, the red race in America.

It started with a mother's love... Fleeing from a forest fire, a mother bear urges her two cubs into the watery shelter of a vast body of water. Though it will be difficult, she knows if they can swim across to the opposite shore, they will be safe. With calls of encouragement and steadfast love, Mother Bear guides her cubs across the great lake, Lake Michigan. And the story of what happens once Mother Bear reaches the far shore becomes the legend behind the natural wonder known as Sleeping Bear Dune. In 1998 writer Kathy-jo Wargin and nature artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen combined their talents to bring The Legend of Sleeping Bear to life. Published to wide acclaim, the book was soon named the Official Children's Book of Michigan.