Coyote and the Fire Stick: A Pacific Northwest Indian Tale [Hardcover]

Barbara Diamond Goldin (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

On the top of a mountain, guarded by three Evil Spirits, mighty Fire blazes. From their cold, dark lodges in the valley below, the People long for Fire. But how can they get it? This is a job for wise and crafty Coyote. “Sparks in this book fly from the pictures as well as from the words.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coyote, a frequent star of Native American trickster tales, puts his imagination into overdrive to bring fire to a tribe in the Pacific Northwest. Such a feat should be easy for the super-confident Coyote-all he has to do is outwit the three awful ogres who tend fire on the mountaintop. With a little help from his animal friends (including an Olympics-worthy relay effort), Coyote saves the day. Goldin's (The Passover Journey; Cakes and Miracles) fresh interpretation of Coyote as a pompous but respected do-gooder gives her well-paced tale added dimension. Her underlying themes in praise of cooperation and kindness are also welcome. From mat lodges to fishing spears to tanned-hide clothing, Hillenbrand's (Traveling to Tondo) warm and textured oil and oil pastel art offers a thoughtfully researched portrait of Pacific Northwest Indians. In addition, his renderings of jocund animals and gruesome yet goofy evil spirits lend a quirky lighthearted air to the proceedings. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6?In Native traditions of the Pacific Northwest, as elsewhere, Coyote's tricky nature makes him both a helpful hero and a boastful egotist. In this tale, the People are cold and hungry, so they ask Coyote to steal Fire, burning on a snowy mountaintop guarded by three evil spirits. Stealing a plan from his sisters, he executes it with determination and verve. When the stolen firebrand is swallowed by a tree, the evil spirits are sure no one will be able to retrieve it. But Coyote rubs dry sticks of wood together "until sparks came." Readers leave him basking in praise. It is the characterization of Coyote, understated but unmistakable, that raises this tale above the common pourquoi. Sparks in this book fly from the pictures as well as from the words. Hillenbrand's proto-Oregonians actually look like themselves, and not like Hollywood Indians. Their artifacts, clothes, and homes are unassumingly authentic (not a totem pole in sight). The layout is often dramatic, and the evil spirits are green and clunky, with red eyes and troll faces. Best of all is Coyote, a foxy red cousin of Wile E. himself, whose foolish vanity is conveyed by his swollen chest, but whose exuberant joy in life radiates from his splayed limbs and perky tail. Few readers will fail to recognize a bit of this animal in themselves.?Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152004386
• ISBN-13: 978-0152004385
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,106,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Tale of the Bringing of Fire to America, September 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Coyote and the Fire Stick: A Pacific Northwest Indian Tale (Hardcover)

Wonderful, Splendid, what more can I say. A tale of cooperation in getting fire for the people. Coyote, usually a trickster, works with other animals to get fire from the mountain. Highly Recomended for Children of all Ages.