Review of “Passamaquoddy Legends Puzzle Book Vol. 3: Amazing Master Rabbit” by Michael Cook

Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)

In early 2022, we were immensely impressed by Michael Cook's book, Passamaquoddy Legends, a collection of Indigenous folklore, specifically a retelling of myths and tribal stories from the Passamaquoddy people—part of the Wabanaki tribes native to Maine and eastern Canada.

We learned so much about this lore, this culture, and the Passamaquoddy people! Furthermore, we found the stories to be so fun and entertaining. Heck, we even had some laughs over parts of the lore like the whole "garlands of enchanted sausage" bit.

Passamaquoddy legend, as presented by Cook, is full of interesting, fun, and often-comical animals who are often personified like Uncle Crane, who needs the affirmation from weasels that he has long legs; Lox the Lynx, or Master Moose.

Cook particularly did a good job at drawing connections between Passamaquoddy culture and many of the other cultures and peoples they encountered like the Vikings and the Christians. Lox, arguably, was inspired by Loki from Norse mythology. Glooskap is a messianic figure very similar to Jesus or King Arthur. It's so interesting to notice the similarities and think about how connected humanity and our histories truly are.

As we established, Passamaquoddy Legends, was both entertaining and educational. Well, how do you enhance all that content? Well, you make it engaging!

It is often said that the best way to learn about something is to actively engage with it, and that's why activity books like Passamaquoddy Legends Puzzle Book Vol. 3 can be so impactful. It challenges readers to not just see and hear but do. And nothing is a better teacher than actively doing something.

Social studies teachers in Maine and eastern Canada, along with their students, could really benefit from something like this.

Think back to when you were in elementary school. What did you learn about in social studies? The culture, the language, and the stories of the native people.

Well, Passamaquoddy Legends and its accompanying puzzle/activity books accomplish that.

Passamaquoddy Legends Puzzle Book Vol. 3 focuses on the part of the lore that revolves around Master Rabbit (“Ableegumooch”), the charismatic, clever trickster hero of many Passamaquoddy stories. While Master Rabbit may not be as powerful as beings like Glooskap or as maliciously tricky as beings like Lox, he is spunky and inspiring nonetheless. He seems to represent a resourceful, plucky underdog and survivor—a dreamer.

We think we figured out the first puzzle to get this cute story about Rabbit living with his grandmother and dreaming of better times. One day, he discovers an otter named Keeoony living comfortably by the lake, catching plenty of food with little effort. Envious of this easy lifestyle, Rabbit convinces his grandmother to move their home closer to the water so they can also fish for eels. However, his plan doesn’t go smoothly. After trying to fish, Master Rabbit ends up cold, wet, and nearly frozen, showing that seeking shortcuts isn’t always as easy or rewarding as it seems.

Silly Rabbit! Tricks are for kids.

There's another story (we learned from filling in the blanks) which continues his story. After facing disappointment, Master Rabbit refuses to give up, showing his perseverance. While wandering in the wilderness, he comes across a wigwam full of young women who are actually Woodpeckers in disguise, each wearing a red head-dress. One of these “red-polled” girls climbs a tree with a wooden dish, collecting insects called apchel-moal-timpkawal (which resemble rice) by tapping on the tree. Through this magical encounter, Master Rabbit observes and learns, blending determination with curiosity and discovery.

After this, we solved another fill in the blank section some time later to get a third story about Master Rabbit that seemed a bit darker and even a bit more violent than the others.

The story tells how Master Rabbit, by embracing his own originality instead of copying others, becomes a skilled magician through hard work and determination. Although he’s accused by the Micmacs of stealing fish, the Passamaquoddy people defend him, recognizing him as their ancestor and the father of the Wabanaki. Despite being the natural prey of the fierce wild cat called Loup-Cervier, Master Rabbit proves his cleverness and bravery in a confrontation, managing to defend himself by wounding the wild cat with his tomahawk. The tale celebrates resilience, resourcefulness, and the importance of being true to oneself.

The fourth story in the next fill in the blank section continues Rabbit's mastery of wizardry while cementing Wild Cat as a great antagonist and relentless rival to Rabbit. In this story, Master Rabbit, nearly out of magical power, uses his last bit of wizardry to escape danger from the relentless Wild Cat. He cleverly transforms a piece of wood into a grand magical ship on a lake, complete with a stately captain, to trick his pursuer. When the Wild Cat arrives and sees the ship, he is determined to catch Rabbit and, recalling his great oath, tries to swim out to the vessel. The tale highlights Rabbit’s quick thinking and resourcefulness, using magic and illusion to turn the tables on a powerful foe.

The fifth story in the next fill in the blank section show how Master Rabbit becomes a bit big headed and starts rubbing shoulders with some of the heavy hitters in Passamaquoddy lore. In this story, Lox enjoys a life of luxury in his well-stocked wigwam and hosts a lavish dinner, inviting Marten and Mahtigwess (Master Rabbit). The tale humorously highlights Master Rabbit’s tendency to boast, as he claims his fine white fur is a mark of aristocracy and insists he keeps company with gentlemen. Although Marten has his own experiences with high society (living alongside the legendary Glooskap) he finds himself outmatched by Master Rabbit’s wit and self-assuredness.

We'll say this: these stories are interesting, but you need to solve the puzzles to figure them out, and that can be challenging if you haven't already read and fully digested the source material. You really need to read Passamaquoddy Legends closely to have a realistic chance of solving these. Next, these aren't conventional stories, which can make them pretty hard to understand. We had to both solve and reread the stories we uncovered multiple times to finally get them.

Fill in the blank acitivities aren't alone in this book.

You’ll find word searches that spotlight key characters, terms, and traditional language, and cryptograms and hidden messages that challenge your logic and puzzle-solving skills. These aren’t just for fun; they reinforce vocabulary, cultural context, and the morals behind the stories.

The book also weaves in creative, hands-on elements like coloring pages inspired by traditional birch bark etchings, hand-drawn mazes tied to story events, and connect-the-dots puzzles that bring the cast of characters to life. Activities like “Fallen Phrases” and double puzzles test memory and sequencing, while classic games like tic-tac-toe, featuring story characters, add a familiar, playful touch. There’s even Sudoku, offering a change of pace and keeping the brain sharp for readers of all ages. Every puzzle and activity is rooted in the legends themselves, helping kids and adults alike to learn and remember the stories in a natural, engaging way.

Check it out on Amazon!