The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn [Hardcover]

Leigh Casler (Author), Shonto Begay (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 1994 | Age Level: 8 and up

In a story based on the Native American ritual of the Spirit Quest, three young boys venture up a great mountain, hoping to dream a dream of power, but one youngster dreams only of a tiny acorn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time author Casler combines what is essentially a New Age parable with the Native American rite of the spirit quest, producing a strange hybrid with no strong roots. Three boys climb a mountain to seek dreams of power to guide them in their lives. One boy dreams of a bear, the second of an eagle, and the third only of an acorn. The meaning of the first two dreams soon becomes apparent, for one boy becomes a great fisher, the other a keen hunter. But the third boy must wait, talk with a wise man, watch an acorn grow into a tree, and strive to be as the tree, which gives freely to all. Only then is he happy and appreciated, "for the boy who had dreamed of an acorn became a man whose heart branched out wide like an oak tree, giving kindness and shelter to all who came his way." Perhaps uninspired by this sentimental message, Begay does not reach as high as in Ma'ii and Cousin Horned Toad; although his characteristic, densely colored backgrounds still satisfy, his scenes lack the humor and cultural specificity of that previous work. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-When a young Chinook boy goes with two friends on a spirit quest, he dreams only of an acorn, while the others dream of powerful totem-animals, a bear and an eagle. The wisest man in the village assures the boy that his dream has just as much to teach him and gives him an acorn to plant. For a few years, he is content with his growing tree, but when his friends are praised for their bear-and eagle-like qualities, he grows envious. The wise man repeats his counsel, and the boy begins to see that as the tree grows (unrealistically fast for an oak), it offers shelter and sustenance. He grows into "...a man whose heart branched out wide like an oaktree, giving kindness and shelter to all who came his way." Ambition and envy give way to acceptance. The full-color illustrations in this picture book are literally dazzling-dappled backgrounds make the pages shimmer. The setting does not vividly evoke the Pacific Northwest, but at least there are no beaded buckskins or feathered warbonnets in view. A fine example of an original story nourished by the Native American spirit.
Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Philomel; First edition (September 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399225471
• ISBN-13: 978-0399225475
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,009,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Children's Book, August 23, 2006

By 

Paul Wake (Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn (Hardcover)

This is one of the best children's books my family has, and we have many. The take home message is to be the best you can be, to not get upset at not being as good at something as someone else, and that you become the best you can be by nourishing others.