Reviews for Stories from Native North America

The average rating for Stories from Native North America based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-10-06 00:00:00 jay stone This book, for ages 9 and up, scores on several levels. It includes traditional tales of several types (trickster tales, origin tales, ghost stories etc) as well as rich informational graphics and text about several Native American cultures. Two of the trickster tales are unusual in that the tables are turned on the trickster, and the intended victim ends out on top. IN Quasi, The Great Liar, (Inuit), the "trickster" ends up punished for his lack of contribution to the common survival needs of the village. In Coyote and Old Turkey, (San Juan Pueblo), the tale takes us in a predictable direction when the Coyote seemingly turns the Turkey into a dinner, but the Turkey has the last laugh. The book is colorful with helpful maps indicating the geographic regions mentioned, as well as rich illustrations of other cultural details, such as clothing, dwellings etc. I thought the illustrations, by Richard Hook, were noteworthy. In addition the illustrations, the border of each page reflects artistic elements of the featured culture. A glossary and list of additional resources round out the features. The author was once children's attorney for the Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado, and her knowledge of children and Native American cultures undoubtedly helped in making this a terrific book.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-06-26 00:00:00 Raymond Worley Native Americans come from many tribes and each tribes have their own variety of stories to tell that have been passed down through the generations. Some of these stories have been collected in this book. Before each story, whether it is a creation story, a trickster story, or a coming-of-age tale, the author includes a page with a brief history of the story or the tribe it originated from. The book has stories that range from tribes that were cliff-dwellers in the southwest, plains people, Inuit and more. Each story gives a little bit of insight into each culture and what their distinct values and beliefs are. The stories are short and easily read. Pictures that illustrate the happenings of the story are on each page and are often wrapped around the text. They work to enhance the story and make a more visually interwoven piece. Since the stories are fairly basic and easy to read, but do give an introduction to various cultures, I would recommend this book for 2-4 graders.