Song of the Hermit Thrush: An Iroquois Legend (Native American Legends) [Paperback]

Dominic (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Native American Legends & Lore

This Iroquois legend tells what happens when the animals of the forest hold a contest to choose which will sing a song to greet the new day.

The Legends of the World opens readers' minds to the diverse cultures of Native America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Americas through enchanting tales passed down through countless generations. Each book in the series features geographical, historical, and cultural information. Illustrated in full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Each tape features a story from a Native American tribe, a brief account of the tribe's culture and history, and a glossary of terms. The two distinctly different delivery styles of the narrators reflect the wide range of moods conveyed in this collection of legends. Mara DeMey's soft voice fits the gentleness of the stories which describe the character's love for the earth, while the highly animated performance that Peter Thomas delivers is appropriate for the briskly paced adventure tales. The background animal sounds in each story give listeners the sensation of being close to nature. The paperback books feature boldly colored illustrations. Elementary school teachers and students will find this collection informative and entertaining.-Mark P. Tierney, William B. Wade Elementary School, Waldorf, MD

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications; 1st Pbk. Ed edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816745102
• ISBN-13: 978-0816745104
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Iroquois legend to explain the sweet song of the Hermit Thrush, August 28, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Song of the Hermit Thrush: An Iroquois Legend (Native American Lore and Legends) (Library Binding)

A long, long time ago the birds and animals made an agreement to live peacefully together by dividing the forest. The birds would live in the trees and the rest of the creatures would live on the ground. This worked well until the morning came, an which point all of the animals that were grateful for the sunrise and wanted to praise the day started screeching, squawking, growling, and bellowing. At the next meeting it was decided that while a song to give thanks for the day was a good idea the sound of their collective voices was not. So they decided to have a contest to see which animal had the song best suited for this great honor.

The title of this Iroquois legend, retold by Gloria Dominic with illustrations by Charles Reasoner, gives away to young readers which animal is going to come up with the sweetest sounding song. But how the Hermit Thrush comes up with the song and when he sings it will come as a surprise. One of the interesting things about ancient myths and legends is how they explain aspects of nature, such as the sweet song of the Hermit Thrush. As the quotation at the beginning of the book points out: "It may be thought that the memory of things may be lost with us. We nevertheless have methods of transmitting from father to son an account of all these things." Young students have a tendency to ask "why" a lot and this book will answer that question, even though they have never asked this specific variation on that constant theme.

As is the case with all of the books in this series the back of the volume looks at the history of the Iroquois. A map lays out the Iroquois homeland across what is now New York State as this section describes the culture and daily life of these Native Americans. There are photographs and drawings that show the food and clothing of the Iroquois, as well as a look at where the Iroquois live today. This is followed by a Glossary of terms from "buckskin" to "wampum," and a list of Important Dates from Columbus landing in the Americans in 1492 up to 1988-89 when the sacred wampum belts of the Six Nations were returned to them from a couple of museums. There is also a photography of a Hermit Thrush in the back so that you can judge how well of a job Reasoner did. One of his fortes as an artist is the authentic detail he provides for the people in these stories, but except for the grandmother who tells this story to her grandchildren as the framing device for "Song of the Hermit Thrush." But in this one the best watercolor paintings are ones where does the elk or any animal with lots of brown, because the variant shadings are quite compelling.

I have some concerns regarding the historical details provided in the back of these books, but they are only intended as an introduction to these cultures. A bibliography is provided specific to the Iroquois, so there are plenty of opportunities for young students and their teachers (or parents) to find out more. For more examples of Native American Lore & Legend you can check out these other books by Dominic and Reasoner: "First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend," "Coyote and the Grasshoppers: A Pomo Legend," "Brave Bear and the Ghosts: A Sioux Legend," "Sunflower's Promise: A Zuni Legend," and "Red Hawk and the Sky Sisters: A Shawnee Legend."