Customer Reviews

Children of the Wind and Water: Five Stories About Native American Children

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Children of the Wind and Water is an excellent book that helps to teach today's children about Native American Children of long ago. James Watling's illustrations are very nice. They are water-colorey (soft and fuzzy), which adds to the realism of the stories. Each story focuses on a child in a particular tribe and the chores and trials that face that child as he or she is trained to become a productive member of the tribe. This and it's companion book, "Children of the Earth and Sky" are excellent read alouds to grades 2-4, especially during Native American studies time.

Well done illustrations and a good map set this book apart from other books for young children about Native Americans. It highlights five different cultures.

1) Muskogee - introduces itinerant river traders. Shows how trades were conducted, talks about body language and eye contact, great for weighing the value of trade goods.
2) Dakota - shows a boy on a buffalo hunt in the snow. Very clear information on the usefulness of the buffalo, shows the gear the hunters wear.
3) Huron - How to make a canoe from birchbark - the usefulness of natural materials
4) Tlingit - wood carving and painting - show totem poles and their meanings. Very good information about relative status within the group.
5) Nootka - Hunting fish and whales with spears - demonstrates using fish for oil and lamps

This book lacks any information about desert people or southwest people, and with the Nootka are in there, maybe some MesoAmerican people ought to have been included.

This is a very basic book, good for kids. Great illustrations.