From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up-Written in the style of a novel, this collection of 14 Seneca tales is presented through the retelling of one central story into which all of the others are artfully woven. Each story has been carefully selected for its pertinence to the main tale, which describes how stories from the "Long-Ago Time" were passed on to the Seneca people. After his father's failure to return from a winter hunting trip and his mother and sister die from fever, Crow moves with his grandmother to an old lodge at the edge of the forest to escape from the villagers who consider them to be unlucky. Out hunting for birds one day, Crow comes upon a large Stone that speaks to him, exchanging, for small gifts, stories of the formation of constellations, the creation of the Earth and its people, and the importance of showing kindness and respect to others. The stories show that life's experiences include both pain and happiness; they teach the importance of patience and of learning from others. In the end, the people of the village learn from Grandfather Stone how to listen to stories and how to respond to the teller. Young Crow is acknowledged as the world's first storyteller and becomes a respected member of the community. Martin offers sources for the tales along with an introductory note by Seneca Elder Peter Jemison. Each chapter includes a painstakingly detailed white paper sculpture of a character (often an animal) from one of the stories.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 5-8. Working with a council of Seneca elders, storyteller Martin created a collection of folktales that reads like a novel. After being shunned by their community, young Gaqka (Crow) and his grandmother retreat to the woods, where Gaqka learns to hunt and where he encounters an enchanted storytelling stone that tells about "the world before this one." Gaqka's hunting suffers when he begins to visit the stone daily, and his worried grandmother sends spies who, like her grandson, also fall under the stone's spell. Eventually, the whole village recognizes the power of stories, and Gaqka, as storyteller, returns as an esteemed member of his community. In the stone's voice, Martin retells the ancient tales in language that is both spare and exciting, deftly folding them into the novel's compelling framing story that is based on a Seneca legend. Nichols' expertly cut paper sculptures, elegant and minimal, don't overpower the stories. Peter Jemison, a Seneca elder, introduces the book, and an extensive author's note offers more cultural background and source information. A highly readable, intriguing novel about northern Native American traditions, for both curricular support and pleasure reading.
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
