North House Folk School is partnering with Norsk Høstfest, the largest Scandinavian Heritage Festival in North America, to offer three hands-on, educational and inspiring classesin Minot, North Dakota. This Scandinavian heritage based course taught by North House Folk School instructor, Peter Barsness, is being offered at the Norsk Høstfest Marketplace October 1-3, 2008. This intergenerational woodcarving workshop is based on "Paddle-to-the- Sea," a 1941 children’s book written and illustrated by Canadian author and artist Holling C. Holling. The book was recognized as a Caldecott Book in 1942. The story is set at Lake Nipigon, Ontario. A boy carves a wooden model of a Native American in a canoe and sets it free to travel the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Paddle-to-the-Sea follows the progress of the little wooden character ‘Paddle’ on its journey through all five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Through a series of hands-on activities, participants learn about the Lake Superior watershed, how to shape wood, how birch bark canoes are made, and discover the cultures that developed the canoe and the history and use of canoes and other watercraft on lake Superior. Each participant (adult/child) will use simple hand tools such as a micro planer and hand sanders to shape their own model canoe and ‘Paddle’ person, just as the main character in the book does. Each student makes their very own unique ‘Paddle-to-the-Sea’ to take home with. Your woodshaping experience will be complemented with a tour of the Norsk Høstfest Heritage Center, meeting other artisans and craftspeople. No experience necessary. Register by contacting North House Folk School at 888-387-9762.