THE STONE CUTTER & THE NAVAJO MAIDEN / TSÉ YITSIDÍ DÓÓ CH’IKÉÉH BITSÉDAASHJÉÉ’
by Vee F. Browne & illustrated by Johnson Yazzie & translated by Lorraine Begay Manavi
When Cinnibah, who lives alone with her widowed father, breaks her mother’s metate (grinding stone), she undertakes a quest through Navajoland to find someone to mend it. First she meets the Moccasin Maker, who directs her to the Pottery Maker, who in turn guides her to the Stone Cutter. This elder tells Cinnibah that he cannot mend her stone—but he will give her a new set. It’s a quiet tale; Cinnibah’s adventure clearly takes her into a realm of Navajo archetypes, and her eventual success is never in doubt. Wound through the tale are lessons for both Cinnibah and reader: A broken metate must be restored to the mountain; elders should be treated with respect and have much to offer younger generations. Set against Yazzie’s monumental paintings of Dinétah, Cinnibah’s red skirt and blue top provide vivid counterpoint to the ochres and browns of the desert landscape. The tale unfolds in both English and Navajo, the bilingual layout making it clear to non-Navajo readers that both language and culture remain vigorous. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)