THE STAR MAIDEN: An Ojibway Tale

by Barbara Juster--Adapt. Esbensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 1988

A gentle, poetic rendition of ""The Star and the Lily,"" a story found in a collection published in 1850 by the Chief of the Ojibway Nation. In brief, gracefully cadenced language, poet Esbensen recounts the story of a star that hovers over a distant hilltop, at length confiding to a sleeping brave that she longs to live among his people. Welcomed, she chooses first to be a rose and then, finding herself too far from the village, a small blue flower--but the buffalo trample too close. Finally, she and her sisters are reflected from above, making ""the dark lake come alive with star."" Joyful, the people sleep; when they wake, their lake is alive with waterlilies. Davie's paintings, rich with decorative Native American designs, reflect that time ""long ago, when all the tribes in the land lived in peace [and] summer was always in the air."" A lovely, beautifully designed addition to folklore collections.

Pub Date: May 2, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S