In the thick of the Turtle Mountains, inside one family’s little cabin, stood The Range Eternal. The woodburning stove provided warmth and comfort, delicious soups, and hot potatoes to warm cold hands on frozen winter mornings. It provided a glowing screen for a young girl’s imagination, and protection from the howling ice monsters in the night. But most of all, it was the true heart of the home — one the young girl never knew how much she would miss until it was gone.

Louise Erdrich is the author of many acclaimed and best-selling books, including The Birchbark House, a National Book Award Finalist. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa and lives in Minneapolis.

Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, an award-winning illustration team, have collaborated on many picture books, including My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss; Cat, You Better Come Home by Garrison Keillor; Horsefly by Alice Hoffman; and Robin’s Room by Margaret Wise Brown.