Itse Selu: Cherokee Harvest Festival (Paperback)

by Daniel Pennington (Author), Don Stewart (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
As adults prepare to celebrate the harvesting of the corn, Little Wolf makes his usual rounds--bathing in the river, checking with his grandmother on the progress of his new moccasins, playing a game called gada yosdi --while anxiously awaiting the start of the festival. Attempting to portray Cherokee life before the advent of the Europeans, Pennington's disjointed, unfocused text is not engrossing, but it does string together a few valuable and engaging bits of Cherokee education and ritual. For example, elders teach Little Wolf and his friend to observe a spider spinning its web before they learn to weave their own fishing nets. Through considerable collaboration with anthropologists and historians, Pennington provides authentic accounts of the feast, a traditional folktale and the sacred corn dance. Stewart's illustrations, while somewhat flat, convey a sense of the characters' peacefulness and contentment. Cherokee vocabulary and pronunciation play large roles in the text--appropriately, given the advanced literacy of the Cherokee nation (a postscript tells of Sequoyah, who singlehandedly devised the written Cherokee language; a syllabary is included). All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-The elements of the long-ago Cherokee harvest festival (Itse Selu) are presented in a fictionalized format as readers follow a young boy's experiences on the last day. The concept of the Green Corn Festival as a time of thanksgiving and renewal is made clear. However, the setting of the story-pre-Columbian North Carolina-is a mystery unless one reads the back cover of the book. Stewart's full-page, full-color illustrations depict realistic children set against backgrounds done in vibrant woodland greens and browns. Several Cherokee words are introduced, with pronunciations, within the warm, simple story. This title provides an accessible and interesting vignette of Native American life before the coming of the Europeans, and as such could serve as an introduction to further reading or study on the subject.
M. Colleen McDougall, Kayenta Boarding School, AZ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881068500
• ISBN-13: 978-0881068504
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,326,227 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Respectful, clearly written book, May 15, 2001

By A Customer

A missing piece of the Native American literature. So many stories are about the removal, or the myths. But how did the Cherokee actually live? What did they eat? What kind of games did they play? This book expertly deals with these everyday issues.

It is a clearly written book with bright, graceful illustrations. I enjoyed reading it to my daughters several times. And now they are older they enjoy learning Cherokee words.

An excellent book...and one every librarian should consider having.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost in my history!, January 5, 2000

By	Brandi (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Itse Selu: Cherokee Harvest Festival (Hardcover)

I was astonished to read of something that pertained to my family history. I am so amazed by Daniel Pennington's writing's. He made me feel like I was there watching this in real life. This will be a great tool to teach my children about my heritage.