An engaging collection of 27 authentic tales gathered from the various Algonquian nations, many of which no longer exist. Each of the brief legends includes a notation citing its origin, as well as an accompanying black-and-white illustration. Organized in a rough sequential order, the tales explain how the world came into being, recount acts of bravery, and reveal why animals behave the way that they do. The Objibway tale, “The Great Flood,” shows how the world was nearly destroyed by a great flood, caused by the spirits of the underworld. The companion story from the LenapÇ, “Turtle Island,” recounts how the Earth was reclaimed after the torrential floods: all of the animals gathered on an immense turtle’s back, which spread the new dirt that formed Earth. “Rainbow Crow,” also from the LenapÇ, shows how not even the great creator could stop snow from falling, that the Snow Spirit has to follow the Wind Spirit to the east, and that the crow became black from the selfless act of carrying fire to earth. Beautifully conceived and executed, this collection renews the old stories, giving them immediacy for contemporary readers. (Folklore. 9-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-82233-2
Page Count: 146
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
PLB 0-688-13166-2 King Midas And The Golden Touch ($16.00; PLB $15.63; Apr.; 32 pp.; 0-688-13165-4; PLB 0-688-13166-2): The familiar tale of King Midas gets the golden touch in the hands of Craft and Craft (Cupid and Psyche, 1996). The author takes her inspiration from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling, capturing the essence of the tale with the use of pithy dialogue and colorful description. Enchanting in their own right, the illustrations summon the Middle Ages as a setting, and incorporate colors so lavish that when they are lost to the uniform gold spurred by King Midas’s touch, the point of the story is further burnished. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-13165-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
Lunge-Larsen and Preus debut with this story of a flower that blooms for the first time to commemorate the uncommon courage of a girl who saves her people from illness. The girl, an Ojibwe of the northern woodlands, knows she must journey to the next village to get the healing herb, mash-ki- ki, for her people, who have all fallen ill. After lining her moccasins with rabbit fur, she braves a raging snowstorm and crosses a dark frozen lake to reach the village. Then, rather than wait for morning, she sets out for home while the villagers sleep. When she loses her moccasins in the deep snow, her bare feet are cut by icy shards, and bleed with every step until she reaches her home. The next spring beautiful lady slippers bloom from the place where her moccasins were lost, and from every spot her injured feet touched. Drawing on Ojibwe sources, the authors of this fluid retelling have peppered the tale with native words and have used traditional elements, e.g., giving voice to the forces of nature. The accompanying watercolors, with flowing lines, jewel tones, and decorative motifs, give stately credence to the story’s iconic aspects. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-90512-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1999
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