Customer Reviews

Muskrat Will Be Swimming

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"Muskrat Will Be Swimming" is the inspiring story of a native American girl who, with the gentle guidance of her grandfather, learns to find strength in her identity as a native American living in the broader American society. Elegantly illustrated by Robert Hynes, "Muskrat Will Be Swimming" also includes the Seneca creation story and demonstrates how such ancient tales of native American cultures can be utilized to help children find their way in the world. Author Cheryl Savageau has written a superb story that will entertain and inspire young readers in grades 3 through 6. Enhanced with a 'Teachers Take Note' section devoted to suggestions for activities and thematically appropriate resources, "Muskrat Will Be Swimming" is an award winning and very strongly recommended addition to elementary school and community library picturebook collections.

I love this book and so does my six year old son. Very sensitively deals with namecalling. The young girl's grandfather sees that she is upset and by telling her a native amercian tale helps her find pride in her heritage and herself. Weaves together the present day story of the girl with the folktale very well.

As an immigrant bringing up my children in fatherland, I often struggle between 'being a Roman in Rome' and establishing culturally consistent values. In a way I am blessed. I live in the Silicon Valley where my children get to see a large Indian community that they can identify with. They go to a school that truly values diversity. Though complicated in many ways, we always have the choice of going back to motherland.

I was thinking along these lines and it suddenly struck me like a thunderbolt - what about Native American people? Living like aliens in their own land, they face the same issues any immigrant faces. At the crucial age of 5 or 6, when a child's thinking is expanding from ego-centrism to more concrete logic and reasoning, the Native American children go to school. Is it a culture shock for them? Is the peer group conducive for building self-esteem? Are they exposed to conflicting cultural messages? Is the peer judgement too cruel for these children? How do they deal with it?

Questions, questions and more questions! Most of which are answered in Muskrat Will Be Swimming. Jeannie is a young 6-ish year old girl who loves living with her family around a lake. Other children at school tease her. They call her LAKE RAT. Jeannie unsuccessfully tries explaining how much fun it is to swim in the lake, to watch turtles lay eggs and to catch dragonflies. So Jeannie finally gives up.

There is one wise man or woman who imparts wisdom at such situations and Muskrat Will Be Swimming is no exception! Jeannie's grandfather makes her realize that one cannot change what family or culture they are born in to, but it is up to the individual to realize their true potential an rise up to the occasion. `Even if you are a rat, you have a specific role in this universe' says the wise grandpa.

Cheryl highlights the lifestyle of Native American people throughout the book. I am quoting couple of my favorites.

"..none of the kids have clothes passed down from two sets of cousins. All their clothes are brand-new clean, not clean from hundreds of washings, faded and soft like mine."

"So I don't tell them about the fish we catch and eat at big fish-frys mid-summer under the stars. I figure they'd tell me food is supposed to come from the supermarket. So I just get quite and don't say anything."

I grew up listening to made up stories about everything under the Sun from my dad and aunt. I read my first children's book when I was 9-10! So story-telling tradition followed by the Native American has a mystic pull that I simply cannot resist! Plus the beautiful illustrations and the priceless message, I consider this book a value addition to my bookshelf..... Hmmm.....let me correct that, to my children's bookshelf :)

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I have read this book to my girls (who are 13 and 14 now) since they were very little girls, and they still love listening to it. I read it to my two year old boy today for the first time. Yes, it's a book about bullying, but what I think is most special about it is the way the author describes the sights, sounds and smells of the lake area and shanty town. It's a very beautiful book about nature...and being comfortable with your ethnicity and status. This book makes me want to get outside and just sit quietly and listen. It's one of my absolute favorites to read and it will always be a classic in my house.

Set along a forgotten lake shore, Muskrat Will Be Swimming is the story of a young girl teased because she is a "lake rat." Her grandfather comes to her rescue by helping her develop pride in her Native American culture. Grandfather weaves the young girl's story into a traditional Native American story focusing on the muskrat. The "Teachers Take Note" webpage for this title on the Tilbury House Publishers website includes add-ons include Native American animal tales art activities as well as internet links to tolerance websites. I received this title complimentary from Tilbury House Publishers in exchange for an honest review, but the opinion is all mine.