CH'AT TÓ YINÍLO'

This is a delightful retelling from the Navajo tradition explaining how rain came to earth with the help of Crane and Frog. As a reward for their work they are given roles in nature that remain today. Thick glossy pages in vibrantly glowing colors echo the richness of the retelling. Each page includes the Navajo translation by Peter A. Thompson along with the English text. Disappointingly, on several pages, the white font sinks into the intensely painted double-page illustrations, making it difficult to read. Much more effective are the single-page illustrations with an adjoining white page sporting a clear black text. Still, this story, not easily found elsewhere, is a solid purchase for those libraries seeking to balance their folk literature collection with Native-American tales. (Picture book/folktale. 5-8)