The Path of the Quiet Elk: A Native American Alphabet Book [Hardcover]

Virginia A. Stroud (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

This lyrical alphabet book, drawn from Native American teachings, tells of 26 different ways to remember our interconnectedness with everything on earth. The Path of the Quiet Elk is not a place, but a way of learning to look at life. Each letter from A to Z is illustrated with a nature scene painted by renowned artist Virginia Stroud's distinctive style. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While accompanying the tribal elder Wisdom Keeper on a woodland walk, a Native American girl named Looks Within discovers that the path they follow is "not a place, but a way of learning to look at life." A playful otter is "a reminder not to worry about life, but to let it unfold"; a hummingbird hints at life's "sweetness" and how "to spread it." The journey yields souvenirs both practical (an antler for a necklace) and metaphorical (a seashell that "will bring you rhythm, like the waves that slowly moved in and out of it"). On the path, animals, artifacts and concepts appear in alphabetical order, from Animal Helper to Zest, lending structure to this melange of wisdom without distraction. Cherokee-Creek by birth and adopted into a Kiowa family, Stroud (A Walk to the Great Mystery; Doesn't Fall Off His Horse) writes a sound, sturdy if didactic text. However, her stylized, colorful paintings?depicting faceless characters and flat perspectives?belie the very intimacy with nature that the book celebrates. For a more picturesque approach to Native American teachings, see Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker's Between Earth and Sky (Children's Forecasts, Apr. 15). All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?A quiet masterpiece. A young Indian girl, Looks Within, begins a spiritual journey guided by Wisdom Keeper. The older woman teaches by bringing attention to things in nature that correspond to each letter of the alphabet. Dragonflies with light shining on their wings remind her of the light from the Creator. Lizard protects people from harm by dragging his tail on the ground to erase footsteps. The letter X, tricky for all alphabet books, symbolizes a crossroads where choices must be made. Unique in bringing Indian women and girls front and center, this amazing work combines spiritual lessons, narrative, and vibrant artwork. Bold acrylics, flooded with color, form, simplicity, and subtlety, fill each page. Stroud, of Cherokee-Creek birth, draws also on the Kiowa traditions in her adopted family. In a prefatory note, she suggests that the philosophy shared by all Indian peoples is available to everyone. The path of the quiet elk "...is not a place, but a way of learning to look at life." Byrd Baylor's poetic Desert Voices (1981) and I'm in Charge of Celebrations (1986, both Scribners) compare to this title in heart, but The Path of the Quiet Elk is one-of-a-kind. It looks like an easy picture book, but offers readers something much deeper.?Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803717172
• ISBN-13: 978-0803717176
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,571,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.