Grade 2-5. One of the most important tales, culturally, of the Northwest Coast Indians, this retelling tells of a proud and haughty girl who was kidnapped by bears. Mouse Woman helps her fool them into thinking that she can create copper from her body, and she marries a bear man whom she eventually learns to love. She gives birth to twin sons who are able to be either bear or human. When her brother tracks her down, her husband volunteers to let himself be slain if the woman and her children will honor bears forever. Thus, the Bear Clan came into being. The illustrations are full-color paintings in glowing autumnal tones, done in acrylics and airbrush on canvas, both single and double-page spreads, as well as a few black-and-white drawings. The artist has captured the splendor of the scenery, and presents historically accurate details of the story's setting. In an afterword, Goldin gives a full accounting of the tale and its importance in teaching reverence for animals, although she doesn't mention that she has removed some of the scatological details of the story as it is printed in Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst's The Raven Steals the Light (University of Washington Press, 1984). The story has much of the same appeal as Rafe Martin's Rough-Face Girl (Putnam, 1992), although it lacks that book's happy ending.?Pam Gosner, formerly at Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. While picking wild berries, a haughty young woman, the daughter of a chief, insults the bear people more than once. This leads to her being taken captive and held as a slave. She eventually proves her worth, comes to love a man of the tribe, and gives birth to bear children. This retelling of a popular folktale of the native people of the Pacific Northwest involves details of everyday village life, mythical transformation, and the traditional transmittal of sacred customs, songs, and ceremonies. Goldin includes notes regarding changes made to the story and references to other sources. Some readers will be particularly interested in Plewes' illustrations, which convey a fine sense of place and of traditional clothing. Karen Morgan
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