#Review First Woman by Aren Capella #picturebooks #childrensbooks #NativeAmerican #Multicultural

Synopsis:
This is the story of the first woman on Earth's spiritual quest to find her place among the other animals on Earth and to discover the qualities that make her uniquely human.

My Review:

This is such a beautiful children's book. It is a mythical tale that tells how all creatures came into being and in particular the first woman on Earth. All the creatures are connected by the Great Mother Wolf who birthed them all, but all found their own way.

As one who is partially Native American, I loved this story. Even though the book is meant to be mostly a picture book, the story itself is complex and yet, understandable. The last creature to develop takes her time to learn and grow; this of course is exactly how we are as humans.

The illustrations within the book only add to the lovely story. The illustrator did a fine job of matching and the story could have even been told based on the illustrations alone. Fantastic!

I am giving this book 5 stars. 

Disclosure: A digital copy of this book was given to me to review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

About the author:

Aren Cappella was a writer and artist who lived in the town of Sonoma in Northern California. She was an entrepreneur who owned and operated a small bakery in Sonoma with her business partner. Aren died of breast cancer in 1998 at the age of 42. 

Goodreads

(The) Flute Player: An Apache Folktale by Michael Lacapa #multicultural #NativeAmerican #atozchallenge #review

The story tells of two young ones who come to a Hoop Dance but dance with no other. They separate to their own families but the boy, a flute player, plays for her. She secretly sends "messages" to him that he likes how he plays. The village thinks the music comes from the trees. Eventually, tragedy strikes but the music is still heard through the canyon.

This folktale could almost be Romeo and Juliette-esq. Except the two lovers are not kept from each other with the exception of time. I loved this story but the ending was sad. You will have to get your own copy to know what happens.

 I do believe students reading this book would understand it to be folklore or albeit the way to explain things. It is a great book to read and study for Native American studies. I will say though, although this book is listed for younger readers, it could go up to 5th grade with more in depth study.

This book is beautifully illustrated by the author as well. The graphics are in browns, blues, muted yellows, and green. The Apache people are illustrated in bold line drawings. I truly love this and it speaks to the authors naive heritage. His book keeps the stories alive.

This book gets 5 stars from me.  Amazon

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle

Review: Bad River Boys:A Meeting of the Lakota Sioux with Lewis and Clark byVirginia Driving Hawk Sneve #B #AtoZBlogChallenge #Multicultural

Summary:
Much has been written about the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, but few authors have considered the effect it had on the Native Americans already inhabiting the "uncharted" territory it explored. Basing her story on actual events noted by William Clark, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve tells a fictional account of the encounter from the point of view of three young Lakota boys. Her story explores the wariness and misunderstanding each side experienced and the trouble that ensued.

My review:
As stated in the summary, Bad River Boys is a fictionalized account of a real story. The major problem highlighted within the book was the lack of good translators. Lewis and Clark were only mentioned by name one time and shown to be rude and almost cruel in their treatment of the Sioux. They seemed unprepared to have come across this nation, although, historically, the nation were well known up and down the river for trade.

It was also noted that their only translator was a slave. This was not surprising to me but did highlight the fact that slave trade was common and used by Lewis and Clark. They are not made to be the heroes they are often portrayed in history. This would maybe anger an adult reader to this children's book. This reviewer finds it to be more accurate.

The book had a brief history of the visit as noted in journals by Lewis himself. The author is also quick to note that Lewis and Clark purposely went out of their way to not encounter this tribe again. It was also noted that due to their encounter, bloodshed almost happened because of the misunderstandings and lack of interpreters.  A short glossary is also found in the back to help with definitions from the Lakota Sioux, which I found helpful.

The illustrations were all in muted brown and yellows. Very little other color was added. This was not only intentional but purposeful as well. 

Overall, I liked this book and think it could find its place. However, I think since it is mostly fictionalized book, it might get lost among other books of the Lewis and Clark expeditions. I do applaud the author for trying to portray a much more accurate account of them and certainly for highlighting her own nation at the same time with honesty and forthrightness.
3 stars.


Disclosure: I obtained this book from my local library. All views are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. Hudson, #AtoZBlogChallenge

Review: Star Boy by Paul Goble #NativeAmerican #DiverseBooks

Summary:
Star Boy was the son of Morning Star and an earthly bride. He was banished from the Sky World for this mother's disobedience and bore a mysterious scar on his face, the symbol of the Sun's disapproval. 
As Star Boy grew, he came to love the chief's daughter, and it was she who helped him find the courage to journey to the Sky World and make peace with the Sun. The Sun not only lifted the scar but sent Star Boy back to the world with the sacred knowledge of the Sun Dance, a ceremony of thanks for the Creator's blessing.

My review:
This is an excellent telling of an Native American legend. Here we have the morning star who marries a girl from the Earth. He takes her back to the sky to meet his parents who are the Sun and the moon.

A child is born from the two but  is cursed with an ugly scar because his mother disobey a warning. He grows up on Earth for a long time but wants to marry the chief's daughter. He must make the journey back to Grandfather Sun to remove his ugliness.  He manages to do so and promises to worship and honor him every year for health.

In real life, this honoring of the sun and remembering of ancestors is called the Sun Dance. It is still held today in secret and is sacred to Native American nations.

I loved this re-telling and made me understand a little bit more about the Sun Dance and its origins. I am honored to know such a thing.

Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book at our local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. 

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

#Review: Little Beaver's Gift by Janet Cassidy / Illustrated by Marni Backer #atozchallenge #Multicultural #NativeAmerican #DiverseBooks

My review:

This book tells the tale of Benny, the smallest boy in 5th grade and scouting. He is bullied by another boy who is much bigger and popular. The boys go on a Scout trip which results in Benny hiding from the other boys in a cave where he cannot be seen. Benny discovers an inner cave that seems to be inhabited. This leads to the discovery of a boy named Little Bear and friendship and growth emerge.

I liked this book because Little Bear teaches Benny about another culture as he shares food and life skills with him. Benny learns to be confident through the help of Little Bear and his family. He learns that friendships go both ways and that different people can learn from each other.

In the end, Benny can stand up to his bully.

Although this book is a work of fiction, I learned a little about the real native nation, the Lenape of which Little Beaver was from. This is a nation that I was unfamiliar with and the book compelled me to learn about them as I am sure it would children reading the book.

The illustrations in this book were dark browns, muted reds and yellows. The characters faces were either non-existent, which played on a  pseudo dream sequence throughout the book, or exaggerated to still not give facial features.

I did think the book ended abruptly but this did not take away from the overall feel and messages of the story.

It is my hope that children who may get the chance to read the book get the running themes. I give this book 4 stars.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon

NOTE: As with all books, I research on Amazon and Goodreads to give credit to the author where credit is due. I was only able to find this book on Amazon but there was no photo of the book or author, no summary was attached and can only be purchased through third parties. The book was apparently a "spotlight book" that were created as part of the Macmillan-McGraw-Hill instructional books to teach vocabulary. This is unfortunate as the book should now be in the hands of children in the new millennium. My review will still be able to be found on Amazon.

#Review: Knots On A Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault/Illustrated by Ted Rand #Multicultural #Native American #ReadingRainbowBooks #atozchallenge

Summary:
In this poignant story, the counting rope is a metaphor for the passage of time and for a boy's emerging confidence in facing his blindness.

My review:
I generally do not read a summary of a book until after I have actually read the book. I am glad I did not do that with this particular book because it gave me the element of surprise.

This book features two Native American Indians, an elder, and his grandson, sitting around a campfire. The elder begins telling the story of the young boys birth and growth, a story that the grandson has heard many times but wishes it to be told again.

As the story progresses, the tale gets more fantastic. The boy grows strong and faces obstacles of "the darkness" but overcomes them through the strength of his name and tenacity. The young boy has great reliance on his grandfather but his grandfather knows that his young grandson will make it on his own.

This story was simply beautiful and told how someone that may be born with a disability can still live a strong life and still do many things, just differently. I loved the meaning behind the counting rope!

The illustrations were done boldly and in darker muted colors to represent the blindness of the boy but also the telling of the story at night. The illustrations took up the majority of the pages with the telling of the story off to one side. Great addition!

I would encourage anyone to have this book for their own collections and to be in all classrooms. To make this even more fantastic, this book was also selected as a Reading Rainbow book and featured on that show.

5 stars and another knot on the rope!

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon

Where to find the authors:

Unfortunately, author Bill Martin Jr. passed away in 2004.

Bill Martin Jr.-Amazon
John Archambault-Amazon
Bill Martin Jr.-Goodreads
John Archambault-Goodreads

#Review: Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend written and adapted by Terri Cohlene/ Illustrated by Charles Reasoner #Multicultural #NativeAmerican #Kidsbooks

Summary:
This enchanting Cherokee legend comes alive through the author's vivid adaptation and striking illustrations. Children will be spellbound as they read about the distinctive lifestyle and beliefs of the Cherokee people.

My review:
I am part Cherokee so I was excited when I found this book.  Taken from an old Cherokee legend, this book tells the tale of how one young man seeks to keep Grandmother Sun from burning the land. 

I loved reading this legend as I never had heard it before. The words are lovingly weaved together to tell the legend as it might have been handed down word of mouth. I loved how the young man made up for each deed or misdeed he did and eventually used his drum in thanksgiving. A beautiful testament to the people and the sky.

The pictures in the book are bold and beautiful. However, this book is certainly to be read by an older child as there are complex sentences. The pictures only enhance the words.

In addition to the legend, the author included in the back of the book about the Cherokee people including tragic circumstances and overcoming. Those pages even talk about the Cherokee of today, what they do and how they live. I think this is also a beautiful testament.

I would be amiss if I gave this book anything but a 5 star. Well, done!

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ with yours. ~Naila Moon

Where to find the author: 

Amazon
Goodreads