An Algonquian Year : The Year According to the Full Moon [Hardcover]

Michael McCurdy (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

As the moon waxes and wanes, her cycles set a pattern of life for those who live beneath her silver glow. For the Northern Algonquians in precolonial America, these rhythms served to measure out the year.
January’s Hard Times Moon means biting winds and long nights, and February’s moon brings the big snow. Now animals and people alike search for food; the land is locked in a deep, icy cold. But by the April and May moons, one can fish at night by torchlight and leave the wigwam door open to the rising sun in the east. Soon the summer moons of planting and ripening will guide the daily work of the tribe. Then come the fertile autumn moons of harvesting to ready the people for yet another hard winter.
In graceful prose and stunning scratchboard illustrations, Michael McCurdy follows the important path the moon made in Algonquian lives. He brings to life the seasonal cycles of work, play, and survival — a busy and fulfilling year punctuated by the beauty of the full moon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McCurdy's finely wrought scratchboard illustrations are the backbone of this lovely picture book, which tracks the central activities of the Northeastern Algonquians month by month. He traces the cycle of the year for the confederation of tribes (from Micmac to Abenaki) that constitute the Algonquian people, from January's "Hard Times Moon," when families hunker down in dome-shaped wigwams to survive the harsh weather; through March's "Sap Moon," when maple syrup is harvested; June's "Strawberry Moon," when old women and children "sit on the warm ground and pluck the delicate fruit with great care"; and November's "Beaver Moon," when traps set for the animals yield meat and warm clothing. The clean, elegant lines of McCurdy's informative prose echo the bold cross-hatching and linear detail of his artwork; he frames resonant black-and-white vignettes, united by a recurring lunar motif, with a brick red border. This handsome book offers a realistic glimpse of everyday life before the arrival of white settlers. Ages 6-10. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-In his introduction, McCurdy clearly states that his purpose is to describe a "year as it would have been lived before the arrival of white settlers-[concentrating on] Algonquian tribes found in the northeast of what is now Canada and the United States." The information is consistent with other books on these peoples, presenting typical recurring activities and the ongoing struggle for survival. An excellent, full-page scratchboard illustration accompanies the description of each month. Unfortunately, the use of present tense throughout the narrative dilutes the historical focus and becomes confusing when phrases like "the game we now call lacrosse" or "what will someday be called New Brunswick" accompany descriptions of events and activities. Similarly, McCurdy's map of the tribes provides only subtle outlines of the current northeastern states, but the presence of contemporary geographic names in the text suggests that the pre-contact Algonquians used terms like "New England" and "Massachusetts." Despite its shortcomings, this is a beautiful book that would be best used in a classroom or with adult intervention.-Sean George, St. Charles Parish Library, Luling, LA MCGILL, Alice, col. In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies. illus. by Michael Cummings. unpaged. with CD. score. CIP. Houghton. 2000. Tr $18. ISBN 0-395-85755-4. LC 97-20269. PreSchool-Grade 5-This collection includes songs of hope as well as haunting refrains of people being sold. From the reassuring "Great Big Dog" to the nonsense of "Rock de Cradle, Joe," the 13 selections reflect some aspect of a life lived under slavery. The words to each lullaby (and the explanation of its origin) are accompanied by vibrant mixed-media collage illustrations. Music appears in the back of the book. Although the accompanying CD does not follow the text exactly, the clear tones and the soft melodies provided by guitar, fiddle, banjo, and percussion bring much listening pleasure. Sing these songs with younger children or explore them more deeply with an older crowd. Both will result in a rewarding experience.
Anne Knickerbocker, Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1ST edition (September 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618007059
• ISBN-13: 978-0618007059
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars American Indian culture in An Algonquian Year, November 29, 2000

By 

Denise N. Davis (Indian Head, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Algonquian Year : The Year According to the Full Moon (Hardcover)

Michael McCurdy's book An Algonquian Year: The Year According to the Full Moon outlines how the Algonquian's lives change throughout the year. The book is divided by the months of the calendar (January through December), which seems odd considering the title of this book, and the fact that the moon does not follow this schedule. However, the entry for each month details the types of activities the Algonquians pursue each month and how these activities fit in with the activities of the rest of the year.

In his article "The 'Indian Tales': Are They Fish or Fowl?", Norman Williamson defines methods for determining the value of American Indian tales in children's literature. These principles can be applied to An Algonquian Year to determine its value as a way to learn about the Algonquian culture.

First, Williamson points out that readers should note the purpose of the story. Is the author writing a story that would be acceptable to the dominant culture of the United States and Canada that has a Native American setting and background, or is the author trying to introduce a new culture that may be foreign to the readers? An Algonquian Year seems to be the result of careful research and an intention to introduce this culture to a new audience. This book does not contain a narrative story; instead, the author states in the introduction that it "concentrates on the daily life of Algonquian tribes found in the northeast of what is now Canada and the United States." No names are given for any of the people, instead only the tribes are named. This emphasis on group rather than personal names reinforces the idea of getting to know the group rather than individuals. Also, this book contains an introduction that gives information about the background of the Algonquians and their names for the different moons. After the story, the author has included a map with the areas where different tribes lived and a bibliography for more information. This bibliography contains books written for both adults and children. Clearly, this is a researched and educational book.

Williamson states a problem that many books about Native Americans face. This problem is that "the authors of children's version have committed themselves to a pre-Columbian environment. No child of the dominant culture can relate to this alien environment in a personal way" (71). McCurdy seems aware of this problem and tries in small ways to overcome this difficulty. Instead of focusing only on the activities of the adults, he includes the children as well. For the month of February or "Snow Blinder Moon," he says, "in the villages, the children are growing restless." The readers of An Algonquian Year can understand restless children and identify with this problem. Another example of McCurdy's efforts to relate this culture to the dominant culture is seen in March or "Sap Moon." He explains how sap is collected and made into maple syrup and then adds, "the Algonquian tribes will one day show the white settlers how to make maple syrup." McCurdy relates the Algonquian culture to the history of the dominant culture and prevents the reader from feeling alienated.

Michael McCurdy's An Algonquian Year: The Year According to the Full Moon is an educational tale about the lives of the Algonquian people before the settlers arrived from Europe. By applying criteria from Norman Williamson's article "The 'Indian Tales': Are They Fish or Fowl?", the reader discovers that this story serves the purpose of introducing readers to the Algonquian people.

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WORKS CITED
McCurdy, Michael. An Algonquian Year: The Year According to the Full Moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
Williamson, Norman. "The 'Indian Tales': Are They Fish or Fowl?." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 12.2 (1987): 70-73.