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ECHOES OF THE ELDERS

Name: ECHOES OF THE ELDERS
Author: Chief Lelooska
ISBN: 0-7894-2455-X

THE STORIES AND PAINTINGS OF CHIEF LELOOSKA

by Chief Lelooska & edited by Christine Normandin & illustrated by Chief Lelooska ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1997

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An oversized, overburdened collection of five Northwest Coast native tales that has more appeal for folklorists than for children. A dedication-page note, an editor's note, an introduction by a history professor, and an elaborate map precede the tales, intended to outline how the book came to be. The late Chief Lelooska, of Cherokee heritage, was adopted into part of the Kwakiutl Nation tribe, which celebrated his skills as storyteller, carver, painter, and teacher. As Normandin notes, the chief worked on the stories and paintings until his death, and read them aloud for an audio CD that accompanies the book. The stories are superb, as are the paintings: Often the subject of a story is painted head-on with no background, an imposing and unforgettable figure. In the cautionary ``The Old Owl Witch,'' misbehaving children who harass an old witch in the forest are turned into mice, then exterminated by a flock of owls. ``Raven and Seagull'' features a sickly and abandoned boy who has gone off to die; he ends up helping a trapped loon who returns him to health and to his people. Despite the self-conscious design, which combines typefaces in a manner that may confuse children, and the abundantly distracting front matter, this is a loving tribute to the world of a prosperous people perched on the edge of great forests of hemlock and cedar. (Folklore. 7-11)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1997

ISBN: 0-7894-2455-X

Page Count: 40

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1997

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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HOW TÍA LOLA CAME TO (VISIT) STAY

From the Tía Lola Stories series , Vol. 1

by Julia Alvarez ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001

Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.

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Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.

When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.

Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)

Pub Date: March 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-375-80215-0

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
ALREADY A BUTTERFLY
by Julia Alvarez ; illustrated by Raúl Colón

- BOOK REVIEW
WHERE DO THEY GO?
by Julia Alvarez ; illustrated by Sabra Field

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TÍA LOLA ENDED UP STARTING OVER
by Julia Alvarez

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RIVER STORY

by Meredith Hooper & illustrated by Bee Willey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2000

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Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)