BABY RATTLESNAKE

by Te Ata ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 1990

Te Ata is a 92-year-old Native American storyteller who was a favorite of Eleanor Roosevelt's. In this amusing retelling of one of her stories, a baby rattlesnake is so insistent that his parents allow him to have a rattle before he is old enough--even though they realize that it will probably get him into trouble. Sure enough, after terrorizing the smaller animals with its sound, he tries to scare the chiefs daughter (recognized because she is ""very beautiful and walks with her head held high, [and]. . .very neat in her dress""). The young woman, however, is undaunted: she crushes his rattle with her heel, leaving Baby Rattlesnake to retreat in tears to be comforted by his loving family. This satisfying cautionary tale is attractively illustrated in sophisticated desert colors, the bold designs framed in imaginative borders and incorporating Native American motifs. The snakes' cartoonish faces (especially Mother's lipstick mouth) jar somewhat, but do serve as a recognizable shorthand of their emotions. A good addition to the folklore shelf.

Pub Date: Jan. 15, 1990

ISBN: 0892392169

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Children's Book Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S