Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend (Native American Lore and Legends) [Library Binding]

Gloria Dominic (Author), S. Albers (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Native American Lore and Legends

By listening to the Great Spirit and eating huge quantities of grasshoppers, Coyote is able to save the Pomo from drought and starvation.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4--Solid additions to the series, these delightful stories are adapted from three tribes. A ghostly trickster tale from the Sioux concludes with an unexpected, funny twist. In a Pomo legend, Coyote saves his tribe from a grasshopper plague, drought, and famine. A pourquoi tale from the Woodlands Iroquois explains why the aptly named hermit thrush has the loveliest song among birds. An informational section of tribal facts, history, and culture, as well as maps, black-and-white and full-color photos, and a glossary follows each legend. The bibliographies include a mix of children's and adult titles. Bright, intense watercolors continue the signature look of this series. Worthwhile purchases.

Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Rourke Publishing (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865934274
• ISBN-13: 978-0865934276
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,577,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic legend of getting rid of grasshoppers., September 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend (Native American Legends) (Paperback)

I am a first grade student who just read this book. I loved all the pictures. I liked the picture of the coyote howling to the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit told the coyote how to eat the grasshoppers and help the Pomo Indians. My name is Kaitlin and I am learning all about grasshoppers. This book helped me learn some new things.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pomo legend explaining why they like the Coyote, September 2, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend (Native American Legends) (Paperback)

"Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend," tells the story of what happened when a drought fell upon the land and Clear Lake dried up. The medicine men sang chants and the people danced for rain, but none came. At that same time Coyote was roaming the dry land searching for water to drink, when he saw a large cloud moving across the land that turned out to be a swarming mass of grasshoppers that was eating everything in their path. This would make life even harder for the Pomos, and Coyote could not understand why these terrible things were happening. So he howled and the Great Spirit answered him, telling Coyote to eat his fill of grasshoppers, because if he did that all else will follow. "All creatures are on earth for a reason, the Great Spirit tells Coyote, "You will discover the reason for grasshopper if you do as I say."

That is the set up for this Pomo legend, retold by Gloria Dominic and illustrated by Charles Reasoner, and what I like about it is that it makes young readers think about how eating a whole bunch of grasshoppers will put water back in Clear Lake. The Great Spirit has made it clear there is a reason for the horde of grasshoppers, and young readers should have some sort of idea of the cycle of life, even if it is just the opening of "The Lion King." However, I was anticipating something a bit more realistic than what happens because I was thinking that this would be creative way of explaining the basic cycle of life in the desert. Consequently, "Coyote and the Grasshoppers" ends up being more of a mystical tale than a myth that provides a way of explaining why things are the way they are.

As is the case with these Native American Lore & Legend volumes, the back of the book is devoted to providing background on the Native American people from which this particular legend was taken. The Pomo homeland was north of San Francisco Bay, and this section of the book looks at the people, their food and clothing, and how today the Pomo live on small rancherias instead of on large reservations. The section is illustrated with historic photographs of the Pomo along with contemporary photographs of Pomo artifacts, particularly the beautiful ornate Pomo baskets. A Glossary defines a few key terms from "Acorn" to "Tule," while a list of Important Dates begins with Columbus landing in American in 1492 and ends with the 1968 Indian Civil Rights Act giving Native Americans the right to govern themselves on their reservations.

The sections in the back of these volumes are brief, but they do provide an introduction to the culture of the various Native American people whose legends are being retold. Other volumes in the Native American Lore & Legend series include "First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend," "Sunflower's Promise: A Zuni Legend," "Red Hawk and the Sky Sisters: A Shawnee Legend," and "Brave Bear and the Ghosts: A Sioux Legend." All of these are retold by Gloria Dominic and illustrated by Charles Reasoner, but you can also find an earlier series, Native American Legends, which Reasoner also illustrated but retold by Terri Coohlene that takes the same approach in books like "Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend" and " Turquoise Boy: A Navajo Legend."

1.0 out of 5 stars A Coyote Tale This Isn't, June 15, 2011

By 

Carol Luther "The priest who reads" (San Anselmo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend (Native American Legends) (Paperback)

This book is a disaster. It presents a sanitized, idealized version of the Pomo, who do not have "Great Spirit" and an obedient Coyote who has somehow lost all his trickster soul. I went and looked up the original story and this one fails to mention that Clear Lake dries up because Coyote set fire to it. We do not need more books with Native Americans as feathered savages who live close to a nature that is gone. We need their real wisdom. And please -- if you're going to do Pomo, honor their actual dress and building styles.