Her Seven Brothers [Paperback]

Paul Goble (Author)

Book Description

When an Indian girl begins to make clothes beautifully decorated with porcupine quills for seven brothers she has not yet met, her parents believe that unseen powers have spoken to her.

The girl knows she must travel to the north country to find the seven brothers. She comforts her mother by saying, "Soon you will see me again with my brothers; everyone will know and love us!"

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the same artistry of his Caldecott Medal-winning The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, Goble retells a Cheyenne star legendhow the Big Dipper came into being. A lovely Indian maiden, who finds inspiration in her love and respect for the spirits, creates seven sets of moccasins and shirts, somehow knowing that she must go in search of the seven brothers who live far from her home. When she arrives, the smallest brother is waiting for herhe, too, has power from the spirits to see and know special things. The Chief of the Buffalo Nation wants the young Indian woman to join him, but she will not go; the buffaloes charge. The youngest brother shoots an arrow into the sky and a pine tree appears, growing with the arrow's flight. They all climb into the sky and become the stars of the constellationthe maiden a smaller star nearby. This is a spry telling, dignified but lively. Thickly applied watercolors give the pictures intense hues, and an earthy but bright palette is set off with sky tones: slate blue mingles with sage green, brick orange and rich brown. All ages.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4 Goble once more combines a respectful retelling of a Cheyenne legend with dynamic paintings depicting both traditional Indian life and the beauty of the natural world. In the legend, a young girl, known for her skilled embroidery, sews beautiful shirts and moccasins for seven brothers in the north who have no sister. She travels north to their home where she becomes a loved and honored sister. They all live happily until the chief of the buffalo nation demands the girl for himself. When the brothers refuse he sends his people against them in a stampede. They flee to the safety of the star prairies, where they now form the big dipper. Sources for both the story and the clothing designs are given. Goble's adaptation is distinguished by its restraint; he resists the temptation to dramatize the tale, choosing instead the quiet, matter-of-fact voice of the traditional Indian storyteller. The illustrations, by contrast, are boldly graphic, with dynamic patterns, brilliant color, and strong line dramatically imposed on the white of the page. While the elements are all from the natural world, Goble stylizes and idealizes them, creating fields of texture, merging from realistic foliage and animals to abstract, flattened shapes. Like the story, the characters are never particularized. Goble keeps the human characters at a distance and flattens their faces, removing all individuality. At the same time he lingers over the design of the clothing and the painted tipis. Once again Goble's admiration for the Plains Indians has been combined with his considerable gifts as a painter to produce a seamless whole. Eleanor K. MacDonald, Palos Verdes Library District, Calif.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (September 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068971730X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689717307
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Goble is an award winning author and illustrator of children's books. He has won both the Caldecott Medal and The Library of Congress' Children's Book of the Year Award. To date, Mr. Goble has illustrated over 30 books. He has given his entire collection of original illustrations to the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, South Dakota.

Goble, a native of England, studied at the Central School of Art in London. He has lived in the United States since 1977 and became a citizen in 1984. Goble's life-long fascination with Native Americans of the plains began during his childhood when he became intrigued with their spirituality and culture. His illustrations accurately depict Native American clothing, customs and surroundings in brilliant color and detail. Goble researches ancient stories and retells them for his young audiences in a manner sympathetic to Native American ways. Goble lives with his wife in Rapid City, SD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cheyenne Legend For Early Readers, March 29, 2007

By 

Texas Book Lover "K" (TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Her Seven Brothers (Hardcover)

This is based on a Cheyenne legend as recorded by Richard Erdoes & Alfonso Ortiz, 1984. A very nice addition to your young reader's Native America collection. The clothing has been drawn from Museum pieces. From the cover: In this Cheyenne legend, a Native American girl creates beautiful shirts and moccasins for seven brothers she has never met. Before setting out to find them, she foretells that she and her brothers will soon be known and loved by everyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Indian Story with beautiful Illustrated Images, October 12, 2009

By 

Shirley A. Thomason (Carrollton, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Her Seven Brothers (Paperback)

Another Paul Goble book for children. Actually as an adult I love his books about Indian stories and the beautiful illustrated images bring them alive. They're simple yet nicely done. Always have a really good ending.