Grade 3-6. Remembering his and his sister's childhood with grandparents on the Arapahoe Reservation, the author retells 13 of Grandpa Iron's tales, one for each full moon of the Plains Indian traditional year. Before and after each story, details about the children's lives are presented; each piece ends with the phrase, "And the Earth stayed young." The brief stories are not set off typographically from the reminiscences and are rather disappointing. They tell about the coming of the horse to the people; a woman chief who was cured of rudeness by hearing a story about a moose family; a healer who learned from bears how to use plants; etc. Each selection is illustrated with a full-page painting of the animal featured in the story. Painted in bright colors and covered with symbols, the creatures float against textured backgrounds; the figures are reminiscent of Plains Indian paintings on tepees and hides. Smaller, crayon sketches also appear. Storytellers will find more accessible Native American stories in Margaret Mead MacDonald's Twenty Tellable Tales (1986), Look Back and See (1991, both Wilson), and Peace Tales (Linnet, 1992). Joseph Bruchac's Native American Stories (1991) and Native American Animal Stories (1992, both Fulcrum) each have 24 legends from various native peoples that emphasize caring for the Earth, told in a dignified style suitable for older listeners.?Pam Gosner, formerly at Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. Each month, as the full moon rose in the sky, Eagle Walking Turtle's grandfather told a tale about Grandmother Earth and her animals. Coming in from play, the children would eat and help clean up, then settle in to listen to Grandpa Iron's tale about an animal loved and respected by the Apache people. Eagle Walking Turtle introduces each tale by describing what he and his sister, Betty, were doing: playing outside in the snow, running around the powwow grounds, attending an honor dance for the men who had served in the armed forces. The short stories are easily understood and evoke a cozy, secure world in which children receive the teachings of the elders. Information about the Apache way of life, both historical and contemporary, is unobtrusively integrated into each tale, and the colorful illustrations provide a unique view of each featured animal. A wonderful collection to share with children throughout the year, though some may want to read straight through to learn about the family and the culture. Karen Hutt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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