Robbie Robertson publishes Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, new book for kids

As a child, the Band'sRobbie Robertson was spellbound when he firstheard an elder recount the tale of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, and the experiencechanged his life.

Robertson, just nine or ten at the time,realized then hewanted to possess the same storytelling power wielded by that elder in a smokey longhouseat the Six Nations Reserve, southeast of Brantford, Ont.

And though he's received countlesshonours as a singer, songwriter and musician over the years, Robertsonjumped at the opportunity to share the tale anew when apublisher asked if he had a story, with personal meaning, aimed at young readers.

The result is Hiawatha and the Peacemaker,a picture book about the Mohawk warrior who helped convince warring Iroquois nations to lay their weapons down. It features vibrant illustrations byartistDavid Shannon as well as aCD of new music the project inspiredRobertson to create.

In the video above, which features a new song Robertson wrote for Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, the singer-songwriter reads from the book andshares thebackstorybehind it.

Convincing tale and performance

Robertson's collaboration with theCaldecottAward-winningShannon almost didn't happen. Though told the top illustrator had his own books to work on and was also busy with Disney, heasked to meet anyway, if only to get recommendations for another illustrator.

When the twomet, Robertsonrecounted the tale of howHiawatha and his spiritual guide,thePeacemaker,managedto convince the five Iroquois nations to move beyond war and fighting to unite.

"He was like'Whoa, I didn't know anything about that,' " Robertson told CBC News, recalling Shannon's reaction.

"I played him the song I'd written for the bookand he said, 'I was coming over here to tell you I can't do it, but now that I've heard this songand this story, I'm in.' "

Robertson has a bit of experience writing for young readers already. In 2013, hepublished the book-and-CD projectLegends, Icons and Rebels: Music That Changed the World, which introduces children to the Beatles, Bob Marley,Joni Mitchell and othergroundbreaking recording artists and tells the storiesbehind theirinfluential music.

With Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, hesays he hopes the book will have the same profoundeffecton children todaythat hearing the legend had on him as a kid.

"It's quite a gift for me to be able to pass that story on and share that in the tradition of the Indian oral history," he said.

"I always appreciated the idea that when you're at a certain age, that someone turns you on to something that could actually have an effect on your life.... And so, that circle the great circlegoes round and round."