THE STAR PEOPLE

Set in the 1800s, this traditional story retold by a member of the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Tribe, tells of Sister Girl and her younger brother, who are caught in the middle of a raging prairie fire. The two follow the lead of the animals and are saved by falling into a shallow stream. After the fire subsides, the two children realize that they’re lost. Guided by their grandmother, who resides in the heavens with the Star People, the two return safely home. Once they came to a hilltop and see that their village is below, the two children’s grandmother returns to her home. Although the figures in Nelson’s illustrations are not as flat as those in the traditional Lakota ledger book art, the colored pencils, pens, and crayon drawings do emulate the style with earth tones, character profiles, and images of clouds, stars, and animals. An exemplary offering. (author’s note) (Picture book/folktale. 5-9)