SKY DOGS

Drawing on Native American tales, Yolen creates her own story (as she meticulously explains in a note) about how horses might first have come to the Blackfeet: An old man tells why he is called "He-who-loves-horses." When he was a boy, three large beasts (so awe-inspiring that people called them "Sky Dogs") arrived bearing dying members of a hostile tribe, and stayed to become an important part of his tribe's life and lore. Yolen's dignified, lyrical style turns the episode into an event that resonates with significance; Moser's stunning watercolor illustrations—in sunset gold and the rich hues of shadowed sandstone—shine with the glory of remembered youth. An excellent complement to Goble's fine books about Native Americans.