STAR TALES: North American Indian Stories About the Stars

by Gretchen Will--Adapt. & Illus. Mayo ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 1987

A nicely put together collection of legends about the constellations, taken from Amerindian oral tradition, written simply enough for children to read, but satisfactory for reading aloud as well. Each of the 15 tales has a brief introduction telling from which tribe it was taken; there is also an appendix with notes about sources. Many groups are represented, from the Micmac in the East to the Tlingit of Alaska. Some of the stories tell of hunters' adventures and others of romance between the star people and those of earth. There is even one nice silly tale of Chickadee's bear hunt. Each has a small decorative design, done in the style of the tribe from which it's taken. There are also 24 pencil drawings, soft and dark to suggest the nighttime of stars and storytelling. This should be useful in folklore collections for children and storytellers, although it's not a first purchase priority.

Pub Date: April 14, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Walker

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S