For this column we continue looking at Native American Legends. As I mentioned in my last column, much can be learned about Native American cultures through the legends of that culture.
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Moroney, Lynn. Baby Rattlesnake. Illustrated by
Veg Reisberg. Children’s Book Press, 1989. 0892390492 Hardcover Gr. PreSchool – grade 1.
Told by Te Ata, Lynn Moroney has adapted this Chickasaw legend into a book for children. Baby Rattlesnake is the story of a baby rattlesnake who wants a rattle like all the older rattlesnakes. Baby makes so much noise the elders decide to give him a rattle even though he is too young to use it properly. When it is misused against a chief’s daughter, she steps on it crushing it. Veg Reisberg has illustrated the story with cut paper and gouache paint pictures. Her colors are bright and vivid. Baby Rattlesnake teaches a valuable lesson on what happens when you get something before you are ready for the responsibility that comes with it.
Powell, Patricia Hruby. Blossom Tales: Flower Stories of Many Folk. Illustrated by Sarah Dillard. Moon Mountain Publishing, 2002. 0-9677929-8-3 Hardcover Gr. K-5.
Blossom Tales is a compilation of fourteen legends from around the world. Each story is a pour quoi story of how a certain flower began. The legend of the Morning Glory comes from Hawaii, the legend of the Dandelion from the Ojibwa, the legend of the Aster and Goldenrod from the Cherokee, and the legend of the Lily of the Valley comes from the Iroquois which is why I included the book in this column. Sarah Dillard did the realistic illustrations in gouache on watercolor paper. Most stories in the book are only one page with a full page accompanying illustration.
McDermott, Gerald. Coyote. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994. 0-15-220724-4 Hardcover 32 p. Gr. Pre-5.
Inspired by the coyote trickster tales of the Zuni Indians, Gerald McDermott has re-told this pour quoi story which explains the coyote’s gray color. The story also contains Coyote’s dealings with several creatures native to the Southwest. The brightly colored illustrations have a southwestern feel to them.
Strauss, Susan. Coyote Stories for Children. Illustrated by
Gary Lund. Beyond Words Publishing. 0941831612 Hardcover. 48 p. Gr. 2-6.
The introduction contains some helpful information about Native Americans and their belief that children learn from stories. The four coyote stories in this book come from little-known tribes. One of the stories contains references to body parts that some may find objectionable and another to bodily functions which may offend some. The stories are just a small sampling of the coyote stories told among Native Americans.
Bruchac, Joseph. The First Strawberries. Illustrated by
Anna Vojtech. Puffin Books, 1993. 0-14-056409-8 Paperback. 32 p. Gr. Pre-5.
The first man and the first woman are living happily until one day the woman doesn’t have a meal ready when the man comes home. Angry words are exchanged and the woman leaves. This Cherokee legend is the pour quoi story of the first strawberries. Joseph Bruchac’s re-telling is one children will want to hear again and again. Anna Vojtech’s water color and colored pencil illustrations extend the story line as well as illustrate the text.
Wargin, Kathy-jo. The Legend of the Lady’s Slipper. Illustrated by
Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Sleeping Bear Press, 2001. 1-886947-74-0 Hardcover. Gr. Pre-5
The Ojibwa have a tale of a maiden who died trying to save her people from an illness. The women of the tribe put beautiful moccasins on her feet in an effort to warm her and keep her from dying. When she died these moccasins became the most beautiful flowers — lady’s slippers. Kathy-jo Wargin’s retelling is enjoyable. Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen’s painting are true to the native people they portray.
Wargin, Kathy-jo. The Legend of Mackinac Island. Illustrated by
Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Sleeping Bear Press, 1999. 1-886947-12-0 Hardcover 48 p. Gr. Pre-5.
Several native American tribes have a creation story of the world being built on the back of a turtle. The version, retold by Kathy-jo Wargin, has Mackinac Island in Michigan being built on the turtle’s back. Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen’s paintings are at times realistic and others impressionistic.
Wargin, Kathy-jo. The Legend of Sleeping Bear. Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Sleeping Bear Press, 1998. 1-886947-35-X Hardcover 48 p. Gr. Pre-5.
An Ojibwe legend, The Legend of Sleeping Bear tells the story of a mother bear and her two cubs who must swim across Lake Michigan when fire destroys their home in what is now Wisconsin. The cubs don’t make it and their mother becomes Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan while waiting. The cubs become the Manitou Islands off the northwest coast of Michigan. Kathy-jo Wargin’s re-telling of the tale is delightful. The paintings of Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen are beautiful and support the text.
Max, Jill, editor. Spider Spins a Story. Rising Moon, 1997. 0-87358-611-5 Hardcover 66 p. Gr. K-5
Spider Spins a Story is a compilation of stories from fourteen different native peoples. Stories include creation stories, pour quoi stories, and traditional stories which have the spider as their central character. Jill Max is a pseudonym for the writing team of Ronia Davidson and Kelly Bennett. Some of the storytellers are identified; others chose to remain anonymous believing that the stories belong to all of the tribe. Some tribes have a belief that certain stories should be told only at certain times of the year, in these cases the editors chose a previously published version to include. The work of six different illustrators is included. Each of the illustrators is of native descent. All of the illustrations have a native feel to them.
Hayes, Joe. Soft Child. Illustrated by Kay Sather. Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1993. 0-943173-89-2 Paperback 32 p. Gr. Pre-5.
Sky God promises each animal a way to protect itself. The snake, Soft Child, asks for a way to let others know he is there so that he does not get stepped on; he is given a rattle at the end of his tail. The other animals soon discovered that Soft Child was still harmless and began to tease him. Sky God came back and gave Soft Child two poison fangs to bite with. Joe Hayes has done an excellent job of adapting this Tohono O’odham folktale into the story of Soft Child: How Rattlesnake Got Its Fangs. The pencil drawings of Kay Sather accurately portray the Southwest desert and its animals.
Bannon, Kay Thorpe. Yonder Mountain. Illustrated by Kristina
Rodanas. Marshall Cavendish, 2002. 0-7614-5113-7 Hardcover 32 p. Gr. K-5
Chief Sky is getting old and knows he must find a replacement. He gives three braves an assignment to complete — go to the top of yonder mountain and bring back what you find there. The three braves head off on the quest. The first two return fairly soon, not having reached the top but having found something to help their people. The third is gone seven days and returns empty-handed but with a story of having seen smoke signals calling for help. The third is chosen as the chief. Kay Bannon has retold the story of Cherokee elder Rev. Robert Bushyhead. The beautiful, realistic illustrations of Kristina Rodanas are done in colored pencil and watercolor.
Read more Native American Culture posts
Amazon Affiliate Links to books mentioned
Blossom Tales: Flower Stories of Many Folk
Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
Coyote Stories for Children: Tales from Native America
The First Strawberries (Picture Puffins)
The Legend of the Lady’s Slipper
Spider Spins a Story: Fourteen Legends from Native America
Soft Child: How Rattlesnake Got its Fangs
Yonder Mountain: A Cherokee Legend (Aesop Accolades (Awards))
