Reviews for Coyote & Little Turtle

The average rating for Coyote & Little Turtle based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-12-08 00:00:00 Zachary Paulsgrove Although Salmonberry's mother warns her to return to their village before dark, in order to avoid Basket Woman - a fearsome giant said to haunt the beach, and make off with naughty children, in order to roast and eat them - the young Makah girl convinces herself, and her friends, that there is nothing to worry about. When the children are all kidnapped as a result, it falls to Clamshell Boy - who rises out of the clam upon which Salmonberry's mother is weeping - to rescue them, tricking Basket Woman, and luring her to her own destruction... This folktale from the Makah people of Neah Bay, Washington is the second entry in the Native American Legends series that I have read, after First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend , by Gloria Dominic, and follows the same format, presenting the tale first, and following it with a brief factual introduction to the people from which it came. I was really quite disappointed to see that the latter focuses exclusively on the historical Makah, rather than their present-day descendants, although this isn't that uncommon, in children's books about Native Americans. The story itself was interesting, although I would have preferred to know what source the author used, in telling it. All in all, Clamshell Boy was a pleasant, but unremarkable read, with appealing, but slightly generic stylized illustrations. If it sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, I am: this was a fairly low three stars for me. Enough to convince me to try some of Terri Cohlene's other folkloric retellings (I have them all checked out of the library, at the moment), but somehow, not entirely satisfactory either.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-08-21 00:00:00 Gihong Jang Cohlene, Terri. Clamshell Boy. (1990). Target Audience: 5-11 years old. The hero in this folktale is called Clamshell boy. The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, along a cape near Vancouver Island, home to the Makah tribe. The illustrations are indigenous of the area reflecting the cool blue waters and the forever green surroundings. The artwork is simplistic excepting the tribal designs in the clothing, the baskets, and the canoes. The women of the tribe are collecting clams along the beach while their daughters are playing together in the warmth of the sun. When it is time to return to their village, one daughter, named Salmonberry, pleads, "but the sun still hovers over the water, let us stay a bit longer." Salmonberry's mother reminds her that the feared giant Basket Woman would be wandering the shore soon, looking for children to satisfy her large appetite. Salmonberry didn't believe there was such a woman, she had certainly never seen her. She was pleased when her mother relented and said she must be home before the sun sleeps. Salmonberry and her friends soon learned that they should have listened to their elders. The giant Basket Woman does appear along the shore and tricks them into getting inside her wide basket so she can get them home faster. Salmonberry is the first to notice that they are not traveling in the direction of their village, but it is too late, they are captive inside the basket. When the girls do not return home before the sun went to sleep, Salmonberry's mother ventures into the forest searching for them, fearing the worst. When she realized her search was hopeless she began to cry. Her tears fell onto an open clamshell and a life form was gradually brought forth. It grew immediately from a baby into a handsome young boy. Called from the spirit of the shell, Clamshell boy introduces himself to the grief stricken mother. He asks why she is crying. She mournfully explains what she believes has happened to the girls. He takes her safely back to the village where he convinces the chief that his spirit is strong and he can rescue the children. The chief gives him a canoe to begin his search. The boy eventually finds the evil Basket Woman and this time he tricks her. He flatters her and she leans over a cliff to view herself in the reflection of the water below. Clamshell boy encourages her to lean over just enough that her weight makes part of the cliff break off, sending her to her death below. He then follows her path back to her home in the woods and finds the girls tied up to the walls. Everyone is jubilant upon their return to the village and Clamshell boy is recognized as their hero at their celebration of potlatch. I like this story because there is a lesson to be learned and the illustrations show the beauty of a simple life. I think children could also probably relate to times when they didn't listen to their parents and learned a lesson the hard way.