FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A compelling look at the stories and myths about our night sky from a collection of Native American traditions.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
With tea leaves and in the night sky, people have always tried to impose patterns on seemingly random groupings. This well-researched, thoughtful collection brings together star myths from such Native American tribes as the Navajo, Pawnee, Shasta and Micmac. Coyote is a bungler who causes trouble on every front: in one story he peeks into a jar and scatters the stars (and then is sent to wander, unwanted, across the earth); in another, he shoots arrows into the sky, which he and five Wolf Brothers ascendbut he descends alone. One of the stories about Pleiades tells of six wives who eat wild onions but are scorned by their husbands for the smell of their breath. They leave and climb a rope to the sky. Given the oral tradition of these tribes and the need to preserve the tales, this poetically rendered compilation is especially valuable. Text decorations show symbols, patterns, constellations and some of the many tricksters. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8 This volume of Native American star legends is well researched and told in language that lends itself well to reading aloud. The first two groups of stories deal with the Pleiades and the Big Dipper; thereafter, they are organized by geographic area. Each group has introductory notes about the tribes of the area and their general beliefs, providing a context for the legends which follow. Notes at the end of each section correlate Indian and Western names for constellations and stars whenever possible. In addition to tales from well-known tribes such as Navajo and Mohawk, there are selections from Tlingit, Wasco, Picuris, and other small groups. Coyote appears in many of the tales, causing trouble whenever he appears. Wolves, bears, eagles, and other animals also inhabit the storiesand the night sky. The book is decorated with black-and-white drawings of a variety of Indian symbols, of the constellations, and of animals and people, which lend life and movement to the pages. Similar to Star Tales (Walker, 1987) by Gretchen Will Mayo, this volume is more comprehensive and better documented, a book that will not only be useful for assignments, but provide many hours of reading and listening pleasure. Li Stark, North Castle Public Library, Armonk, N.Y.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
broad overview of Native American star lore tales,
This review is from: They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths (Hardcover)
"They Dance In The Sky" is divided into chapters that focus on particular regions of North America. Within each chapter are descriptions of the tribes in that region and then retellings of several of their star myths. At the end of each chapter the reader will find a listing of each tribe's constellations or important stars, and the Western equivalent, if known.
This book doesn't go into detail about the significance of the myths or the specific stars that figured into the tales, but it does give a broad representation of the kinds of tales told by the various peoples. This makes it a lighter read, and for some that's just right. Don Childrey, author of "STAR TRAILS: Navajo, A Different Way To Look At The Night Sky"
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very detail and a good reading,
By
This review is from: They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths (Paperback)
I agree this book doesn't go into detail about the significance of the myths or the specific stars that figured into the tales, but it does give a broad representation of the kinds of tales told by the various peoples. This makes it a lighter read and make also to any researcher a good initial guide for etnoastronomy.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The small cluster of stars we call the Pleiades is one of the most important constellations of mythology. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Dipper, North Star, Sky Country, Black God, Cold Wind, Milky Way, Chinook Wind, Skidi Pawnee, Celestial Canoe, Native American, Wolf Brothers, Dove Maidens, Swimming Ducks, Evening Star, First Man, White Elk, Our Mother, Revolving Male, Sky Coyote, First Slender One, Moose Bird, North Fire, Sun Dance, Black Star, Osage Sky Seeing New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The small cluster of stars we call the Pleiades is one of the most important constellations of mythology. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Dipper, North Star, Sky Country, Black God, Cold Wind, Milky Way, Chinook Wind, Skidi Pawnee, Celestial Canoe, Native American, Wolf Brothers, Dove Maidens, Swimming Ducks, Evening Star, First Man, White Elk, Our Mother, Revolving Male, Sky Coyote, First Slender One, Moose Bird, North Fire, Sun Dance, Black Star, Osage Sky Seeing New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 33
books:
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13
books
cite this book:
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- Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest by Ella E. Clark in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Morning Star: A Tribute to the American Dream : A Novel by Noreen Wise on page 78, and page 94
- Morning Star by Candace Camp on page 76, and page 78
- The Pawnee Mythology (Sources of American Indian Oral Literature) by George A. Dorsey in Back Matter
- The Indians' Book (Native American) by Natalie Curtis in Back Matter
See all 33 books this book cites
- Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock on page 521, and Back Matter
- Myths and Hero Tales: A Cross-Cultural Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults by Alethea K. Helbig in Front Matter, and page 119
- Multicultural Acquisitions (The Acquisitions Librarian, Nos 9/10) by Linda S Katz on page 264
- Extraordinary American Indians (Extraordinary People) by Susan Avery in Back Matter
- Coyote Places the Stars (Aladdin Picture Books) by Harriet Peck Taylor in Back Matter
See all 13 books citing this book
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