3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Iktomi wants the berries in the water, but the berries win, March 16, 2004
I am certainly coming to enjoy the stories of the trickster, the main character in many Native American myths and legends. In the Pacific Northwest he is known as Raven, while the Lakota call him Iktomi, which means "spider." The man Iktomi, who is the central character in a series of adventures retold and illustrated by Paul Goble, is both very clever and very stupid, which results in some rather amusing tales. One of the things that makes the trickster such a compelling figure is that sometimes Iktomi uses his cleverness to benefit man, while other times he merely makes mischief. "Iktomi and the Berries: A Plains Indian Story" is such a tale and remind many readers of one of Aesop's fables that has similar story elements, "The Dog and the Bone." However, in these stories the moral is never stated explicitly because children come to understand what is unacceptable from the terrible behavior exhibited by Iktomi.
In this particular story Iktomi is out hunting one day, looking so ridiculous waring his coyote skin as a disguise that the prairie dogs are all laughing at him. When he falls into the river he spots some beautiful red buffalo berries in the water and decides that is exactly what he needs to make some berry soup for his relatives. However, getting those berries proves to be rather difficult for Iktomi and all of the fine clothing and things he bragged about a the start of the story are soon traveling merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, right on down the stream.
Throughout the text there are points where the print changes to italics. In "A Note for the Reader" at the start of the book, Goble explains that the italics represent points in telling the story of "Iktomi and the Berries" where the reader can give their listeners a chance to comment on what Iktomi is saying and doing. In the Native American tradition stories like this are always told with the storyteller and the listeners interjecting comments about the stupidity of what Iktomi says and does. Similarly, what Iktomi is thinking is printed in small type (e.g., "I'm a great hunter. Watch me").
Goble's illustrations are done in India ink and watercolor reproduced in combined line and halftone. His attention to the authentic detail of Iktomi's clothing and his stylized representation of the animals in this second Iktomi book are what we have come to expect from all of the books Goble has put out bringing these Native American myths and legends to new generations of young and old readers alike. After "Iktomi and the Boulder" this is the second of the trickster's many adventures recounted by Goble (or, as Iktomi calls him, "that white guy" who "is telling stories about me again").
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An entertaining Plains Indian tale with a universal message, May 2, 2001
Iktomi is a trickster in Plains Indian folklore. In this tale his conceit gets him into trouble.
Paul Goble is a Caldecott Medal winning illustrator who has a gift for bringing native folktales to life for elementary age children. He has a unique pen, ink and paint technique that brings out the details in Iktomi's dress and gear, as well as animals--such as the prairie dogs and ducks in this tale.
While the main text of the story is told in bold black type, the storyteller is given some hilarious commentary in gray type, which is a delight for children listening to the story. Goble also adds little captions that are fun to read aloud, or that children enjoy looking for on their own.
I prefer folktales that teach a moral, and here the message is clear: pride goes before a fall.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth reading!, September 7, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Iktomi and the Berries: A Plains Indian Story (Paperback)
Paul Goble does a great job in bringing Plains Indian lore to a modern audience. His humor and capitivating illustrations make this book a good "read out lound" for preschoolers and early elementary alike. The trickster Iktomi gives us a chance to laugh at our own foibles, while we learn a valuable lesson. Iktomi, it seems, will never learn!
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