Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Nov 16/01) - Kids have a discerning eye.

Visiting author Pete Marlowe was reminded of that during a public reading at the John Tsetso Memorial Library on Saturday afternoon.

"Do you know the words off by heart, because you don't look at the book (when you read)?" one inquisitive young listener asked mid-story.

Marlowe genially explained that because he wrote all the words, he does know them very well.

It was only one of many questions he fielded from youngsters and students while visiting Fort Simpson Friday and Saturday. His appearance was one of four stops in the NWT during Canada Children's Book Week.

His animated readings of two of his three books was only part of his performance. He also brought along a guitar and entertained the children with a thank-you song.

Before launching into the tune, he told the kids, "This is my first time in Fort Simpson ... the weather's really cold here. It's a lot colder than where I come from."

The weather, it seemed, was making him feel like he was coming down with a cold. That may explain why he kept sneezing and falling down while singing his song, eliciting uproarious laughter from the children.

Marlowe, who is from Duncan, B.C, but now resides in the Vancouver area, has penned Mallory and the Power Boy -- which is set in the home of a five-year-old girl when the power goes out -- One Arabian Morning and Trailer Park Princesses.

He recalled his father taking him to the library when he was four years old. He wanted to borrow 1001 Arabian Nights, but his father told him it was a "grown-up" book. The young Marlowe persisted and finally got his way. He said he was inspired by the humour, the adventures and the magic.