Pushing up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children [Hardcover]

Joseph Bruchac (Author), Teresa Flavin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

From acclaimed Native American storyteller Joseph Bruchac comes a collection of seven lively plays for children to perform, each one adapted from a different traditional Native tale. Filled with heroes and tricksters, comedy and drama, these entertaining plays are a wonderful way to bring Native cultures to life for young people. Each play has multiple parts that can be adjusted to suit the size of a particular group and includes simple, informative suggestions for props, scenery, and costumes that children can help to create. Introductory notes and beautiful, detailed illustrations, by Teresa Flavin, add to young readers' understanding of the seven Native nations whose traditions have inspired the plays.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Anyone looking for an unusual way to introduce Native American cultures and stories might try this collection. The scripts are based on tales from the Abenaki, Ojibway, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Snohomish, Tlingit, and Zuni and are accompanied by brief introductions to each tribe and its culture. Many Native words and phrases are included in the dialogues, along with helpful pronunciations. The short, simple scripts are accessible to young, inexperienced actors. The casts include speaking and nonspeaking parts that can be adjusted to group needs. Suggestions are given for easy-to-make costumes, props, and scenery. A variety of pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the plays, as well as one lively gouache illustration per selection. Through color and style, the paintings reflect the regions and cultures of the tribes and add to readers' appreciation and understanding of the atmosphere and setting.
Darcy Schild, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence, KS
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Bruchac adapts seven traditional tales from various tribes into plays for children. Each play is introduced with a brief tribal background, a list of characters, suggestions for props and scenery, and recommended costumes. Representing tribes from Bruchac's own Abenaki to the Cherokee, Tlingit, and Zuni, the plays are mostly pourquoi tales, explaining how mosquitos came into the world or why stars are visible at night. Black-and-white drawings, contributed by Teresa Flavin, suggest backdrops and enhance the reader's enjoyment. Easily modified for various numbers of children, and easily produced with everyday materials, these plays offer an excellent extension of American Indian studies for elementary students as well as models for student writing. Performance and photocopying rights are granted for school and home performances as long as no admittance fees are charged. Karen Hutt

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dial (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803721684
• ISBN-13: 978-0803721685
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts > Drama & Theater

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book, July 31, 2001

By 

Lee Francis (Laguna Pueblo), Ph.D (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pushing up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children (Hardcover)

This book is an outstanding work by Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki) for all theatre professionals as well as K-12 teachers. I strongly recommend that it be part of every school library collection.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Children will be Enchanted, April 14, 2009

By 

Indecisive Andi (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pushing up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children (Hardcover)

"Pushing Up the Sky" is a collection of seven plays for children that are created from the myths and stories of seven different American Indian tribes. The plays are easy to produce and will hold children, as well as adult audiences, spellbound. The illustrations by Teresa Flavin are delightful and beautifully intricate. My favorite story in the collection is about two sisters who marry two stars in the sky. There is also an adorable story about an inquisitive ant who asks all the animals to tell him who is the strongest. The American Indian flavor of these plays are evident, and will add a unique spin on typical children's theatre. Some plays even include American Indian language, phonetically spelled out for the young actors. This book of plays is a gem for directors of children's theatre. I suggest anyone that works with elementary level children, or is interested in American Indian mythology, to go out and get this book today.