Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth) [Paperback]

Michael J. Caduto (Author), Joseph Bruchac (Author)

Book Description

Series: Keepers of the Earth | Publication Date: March 7, 1994

Night is more than just a period of time between sunset and sunrise. It is another world, fascinating and mysterious to children curious about the night and its nocturnal inhabitants. In Native cultures mighttime is a crucial part of the Great Circle and balance in the universe, and Keepers of the Night features Native wisdom to help young people learn valuable lessons about the natural world.

In the tradition of the best-selling Keepers of the Earth and Keepers of the Animals, this book offers eight carefully selected Native North American stories. Field-tested, hands-on activities include nighttime observational activities and walks to teach sensory awareness, puppet shows to teach understanding of how nocturnal animals live, stargazing to understand constellations and the myths and legends surrounding them, campfire talks that relate a sense of being a part of the Great Circle, and traditional dances—such as one to celebrate the bear, a symbol of courage—to enjoy and learn their significance.

Perfect for anyone teaching children about nature and the outdoors, Keepers of the Night offers unique ideas about understanding the natural world—by looking at night.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Caduto and Bruchac use stories from various American Indian tribes as the basis for activities and lessons about the nighttime world. Written as a guide for teachers, outdoor education leaders, and other adults working with children in a nature setting, the guide gives detailed instructions for preparing, conducting, and evaluating a variety of activities that focus on the nocturnal habits of animals, on astronomy and nighttime weather, and on campfire activities, such as storytelling, dances, and games. Aspects of many American Indian tribal practices are woven throughout the text. The wealth of information and activity suggestions overcomes occasional poorly written passages (incomplete sentences, for example). Source notes are provided; a glossary and a brief bibliography section are appended. Karen Hutt

Review

"2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, for which the International Astronomical Union is urging all of us to get out and look up at the sky. In other words, it's a great time to study stars...Looking up, of course, is easy; the trick is to know just what you're looking up at... Keepers of the Night pairs Native American star legends with activities, games, and science and nature experiments." —Home Education magazine

Best Books for Parents by Parents Express

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (March 7, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555911773
• ISBN-13: 978-1555911775
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of all the excellent "Keepers" series, October 15, 2000

By 

Gwyneth Calvetti (West Salem, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth) (Paperback)

While all of the "Keepers" books are excellent in their presentation of Native American stories and activities to enhance learning about the natural world, this one is my hands-down favorite. There is something magical about the night, and we have strayed so far from that magic in our incandescent world. The stories and activities in this book will allow you to try and recapture some of the enchantment of the nocturnal world for your kids and maybe even for yourself.

The stories themselves are very tellable. I have had sixth graders learn and tell these tales. The activities are broken into categories, such as the night sky or nocturnal animals. This is an excellent resource for anyone working with groups such as Scouts or nature centers, wishing to incorporate enjoyable activities and stories into their night-time programming.

As humans have done for eons before us, take this guidebook with you to your next campfire, and share the magic of stories spun by fireside.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these books!, April 1, 2002

By 

leslie stevens (orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth) (Paperback)

The entire series is excellent!!! I have all four and I highly reccomend them. They teach science, literature, native american culture, and give children a respect for the natural world at the same time. (there is even the occasional bit of math thrown in). My son loves doing the activities with me! Excellent for unit studies!