Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth [Hardcover]

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Author), Stephen Gammell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1989 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

An illustrated collection of poems from the oral tradition of Native Americans.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An infant's first cry is one of the many potent images that leap out of this collection of poems recorded from the oral traditions of several American Indian tribes. "Tble," the title of a poem and a baby girl, is "named for the cold star / appearing after the blizzard ceased its wail." "Sun, Moon, Stars," a poem from an Omaha ceremony for the newborn cries, "Hear this mother! / A new life has come among you. / Make its life smooth." A Pauite cradle song evokes familiar lullaby refrains: "Coo . . . ah . . . Coo! / Little Dove, / The wind is rocking / Thy nest in the pine bough, / My arms are rocking / Thy nest, little Dove. / Coo . . . ah . . . coo!" An Osage chant prepares a young man for his first buffalo hunt; the Mescalero Apache contribute "The Four Corners of the Universe," which declares to girls, "Be strong. For you are the mother of a people." Gammell works in an earthy vein unlike anything he has attempted before. Giving himself over to the patterns and themes suggested by each snippet or riddle-like verse, he scratches out strong woven symbols in colored pencil, or paints watercolor scenes on dappled pages resembling animal skins. Many artistic styles are represented, as if he gathered his sources from as many tribes as Sneve did her poems. Like a trail of stepping stones, this exquisite collection may lead readers to other sources, such as the works of Paul Goble. Together, poet/compiler and artist offer small but satisfying glimpses of some of the rich and varied Indian lore which--if abundant--has been mostly overlooked. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Dancing Teepees by Calvin O'john
We Chased Butterflies To Give Us Endurance by Plenty-coups
I Watched An Eagle Soar by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Tbe by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Why The Trees Lose Their Leaves (adapted) by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
The Black-turkey Gobbler by Anonymous
Cradle Song by Anonymous
Creation Myth Of The Wintu by Anonymous
Dakota Elk Song by Anonymous
Farewell, My Younger Brother by Anonymous
The Four Corners Of The Universe by Anonymous
The Life Of A Man Is A Circle From Childhood by Anonymous
Lullaby by Anonymous
My Dress Is Old, But At Night The Moon Is King by Anonymous
My Horse, Fly Like A Bird by Anonymous
My Little Son by Anonymous
Osage Prayer Before First Buffalo Hunt by Anonymous
Sun, Moon, Stars by Anonymous
Zuni Corn Ceremony by Anonymous
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 31 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823407241
• ISBN-13: 978-0823407248
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,668,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars College student's review, November 17, 2004

By 

Paula J. Johnson "Paula Jean" (Addison, Al) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth (Paperback)

This book is a collection of thirteen poems. The poems are all about Native American Indians. Sioux, Navajo, Mescalero Apache tribe members wrote some of the poetry in this collection. Four poems were written by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. The collection offers a small glimpse of the Native American traditions. It shows the life of Native Americans by sharing a newborn ceremony, a Hopi lullabye, a Paiute cradle song, Zuni corn ceremony, a song for young girls, a Dakota elk song, a prayer before a young man's first buffalo hunt, and a myth of the Wintu.

I would recommend this book. It is important to discuss different cultures with children, and this book shows a few Native American tribes. This book could be used to introduce a unit on Native Americans, and most of the poems in this collection are short and easy to read.