From Publishers Weekly
Dwarf-like woodland good spirits fail to capture the imagination in this lackluster retelling of a Mohegan tale. Fawcett (The Lasting of the Mohegans) and Bruchac's (Tell Me a Tale) somewhat straggling story tells of a medicine woman, Nonner Martha, brought one night to the home of the Makiawisug, or "Little People" (also the "Good Spirits"), to cure their ailing matriarch. Nonner Martha is rewarded with gifts, including a magical belt that she passes on to her granddaughter along with the job of Medicine Woman. The sketchy historical context is at odds with the mythical elements: while the arrival of the "Pale Strangers" seems ominous, the subsequent outbreak of disease among the Mohegans is attributed solely to their failure to remember and honor the Makiawisug, who are also struck by the disease. Wagner's literal, almost textbook-like illustrations do little to summon the sense of magic attributed to the Makiawisug. The "Little People" look simply like scaled-down Mohegans, and although the authors say they play tricks, the Makiawisug don't get to do anything interesting here. Ages 6-10.
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